PTI
CHENNAI
Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Friday denied sending any report on the present political situation in the state to either the Union Home Ministry or the President.
Hours after a section of media claimed in their reports that Rao had sent a report to the Centre, Raj Bhavan in an official release denied it.
“Ch Vidyasagar Rao, the Governor of Tamil Nadu has not sent any report either to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs or to the President of India as reported in some of the media,” the Raj Bhavan release said.
A section of the media, including TV news channels, had claimed that Rao had sent in his report in which he was understood to have made it clear that he will await the judgement of the Supreme Court in disproportionate assets case against AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala before taking any decision on the issue of chief ministership. It may be recalled that the Apex court had on February 6 said it would deliver its verdict in the disproportionate assets case in a week.
Rao was earlier reported to have concluded that with Sasikala not being a legislator, the provisions of Article 164 (1) of the Constitution cannot be considered to invite her to prove her strength.
It was also reported that Rao stated that the case threw up "unique set of Constitutional issues with no precedent of its kind," and needs to be considered not just as per Article 164 (1) but also read with Article 164 (4).
The latter explains that anyone who is a minister but not elected within six months as a legislator, ceases to be a minister.
The Governor is believed to have arrived at the conclusion that "even where there is an iota of doubt about the ability of the person to get elected to Assembly within six months, Article 164 (4) has to be interpreted as a restriction/disqualification as contained in the interpretation by the Hon'ble Supreme Court...."
Rao is learnt to have also concluded that he "is also bound by Constitution to satisfy himself that a person staking claim world form a stable government. In view of the impending judgement in the DPA case an uncertainty exists about the qualification of TMT. V K Sasikala to become an MLA."
