New Delhi: Supreme Court raps Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi

New Delhi : The Supreme Court came down heavily on Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi for his refusal to re-induct a DMK leader as minister despite a pause on his conviction. In strong remarks, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said the Governor was "defying the Supreme Court" and asked the Centre, "If the Governor does not follow the Constitution, what does the government do?"

The bench, also comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, has now given the Governor a day's time till tomorrow to appoint DMK's K Ponmudi as minister.

The MK Stalin government has approached the Supreme Court after Mr Ravi refused to re-induct Mr Ponmudi into the state cabinet, saying it would be against Constitutional morality. Mr Ponmudi was disqualified as an MLA after the Madras High Court recently reversed his acquittal in an assets case. Thereafter, the Supreme Court paused his conviction and the sentence of a two-year jail term. The state government had then moved to reinstate him as minister, but the Governor stressed that his conviction has only been suspended and not set aside.