MK Stalin, leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, who is also the working president of the DMK, staged a demonstration with hundreds of party activists in front of Raj Bhavan in Chennai on Saturday demanding the resignation of Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
Stalin and the DMK, trying desperately to come back to power in Tamil Nadu, accused Governor Purohit of interfering in the State administration. Purohit had visited Namakkal on Friday to take stock of the Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan and held a meeting with the district administration.
Though the Governor has been issuing releases stating that he was discharging the responsibilities bestowed on him by the Constitution, the DMK and other Tamil chauvinist outits have been campaigning against Purohit since helaunched his review meetings in the State.
“The Governor is acting as the agent of the BJP and is interfering in the State administration,” Stalin said before he and other participants were prevented by the police before taking them to the neighbouring YMCA stadium.
They were detained for a few hours and were released by evening.
Speaking to reporters, Stalin said there was nothing wrong in demonstrating and waving black flags at Constitutional functionaries. “It is the part and parcel of democracy. We have every right to stage such demonstrations and we will continue to do so,” said the DMK working president. The detaining of Stalin made DMK activists elsewhere in the State to stage demonstrations protesting against the police action.
Meanwhile, H Raja, national secretary of the BJP stated that Stalin was liable for prosecution under section 124A of the Indian Penal Code for staging demonstartions against the Governor. “Stalin , being a legislator and a former Minister, should be aware of this law before venturing out to create ruckus by staging such shows,” said Raja.
Though the DMK leadership always ask the Governor to confine his activities within the precincts of the Raj Bhavan, Stalin has been asking Purohit to dismiss the Edappadi Palaniswamy led AIADMK Government.