Delaying Vijay's swearing-in political outrage, constitutional heresy: Ex-Law Min Ashwani Kumar

Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Thursday said Tamil Nadu governor should invite Vijay to form a government and honour peoples mandate, as he termed the delay a political outrage and constitutional heresy.

Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Thursday said Tamil Nadu governor should invite Vijay to form a government and honour people's mandate, as he termed the delay a political outrage and constitutional heresy. Kumar, in a statement, said the due process argument attributed in the media to the Governor of Tamil Nadu is a ''graceless strategem'' on the part of the governor to delay Vijay's swearing-in, despite a resounding popular mandate in his favour. It is obvious that under the present circumstances, no other can or does command a legislative majority, Kumar said. ''The constitutional remit of the Governor is to invite the leader with majority support to form Government. It is clear that support of six other MLAs for Vijay will be forthcoming anytime now. ''The correct course for the Governor of Tamil Nadu in the peculiar circumstances is to invite Vijay to form Government and honour the people's mandate and call upon him to prove his majority on the floor of the House,'' the former Union minister for Law and Justice said. He said such a course would be in accord with the principles of parliamentary democracy and the conventions of the Constitution. ''The exercise of Constitutional prerogative by the Governor cannot be seen at odds with the spirit of the mandate and the political morality that underpins democratic politics. ''Constitutional conscience owes no apology to technicalities. Delaying the swearing in of Vijay is a political outrage and a constitutional heresy,'' Kumar said. Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has conveyed to TVK chief Vijay that his party does not have the requisite support to form the government. The TVK has stepped up its efforts to convince the Left parties, VCK, and the IUML to shore up numbers. They are expected to spell out their stand on the matter within two days. The parties in contention wanted the governor to invite TVK to form a government. They are likely to extend support, considering Vijay is open to accommodating prospective allies in his cabinet. Vijay, based on an invite from the governor, visited the Lok Bhavan on Thursday, his second visit within a span of 24 hours. ''During the meeting, the Hon'ble Governor explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the government, has not been established,'' Lok Bhavan said in a press release. Vijay's TVK has won 108 seats and is short of 10 MLAs to get the simple majority mark of 188 in the 234-member assembly.