Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi swears in DMK's Ponmudy as minister

A day after the Supreme Court questioned him for his "constitutionally illegal conduct", Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi on Friday re-inducted DMK leader K Ponmudy in the state cabinet.

Earlier in the day, a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud was informed that Governor Ravi has invited K Ponmudy for the swearing-in.

Attorney general R Venkataramani on Friday told the bench that the governor had no intention to violate the top court's order.


On Thursday, the bench headed by the CJI had questioned the conduct of the governor, who had refused to re-induct Ponmudy into the state cabinet even after his conviction in a criminal case was stayed by the Supreme court last week.

The bench had Thursday verbally remarked "can the governor defend his constitutionally illegal conduct? Should we close our eyes on the virtual breach of the Constitution by the governor?".

The CJI had said that "the governor is a titular head and he has the power to counsel (the government). That is all".

Mincing no words, the CJI had gone on to add that the "governor has no business telling us" that the stay on Ponmudy's conviction by the Supreme Court was "against constitutional morality".

The CJI had warned that if by Friday the bench "did not hear in a positive manner setting the constitutional position right" then it will pass an order.

The development took place during the hearing of an application filed by the Tamil Nadu government seeking directions to the governor to re-induct K Ponmudy into the state cabinet on the basis of chief minister M K Stalin's recommendation.