Chennai, May 18, 2025
In a sharp rebuke to what he described as an attempt to undermine India’s federal structure, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has written to the Chief Ministers of eight non-BJP ruled states, urging a united stand against the Union Government’s recent Presidential reference to the Supreme Court under Article 143.
In his letter, Stalin addressed the Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Punjab, and the administration of Jammu and Kashmir, calling for coordinated resistance to what he termed a “legal challenge to state autonomy.”
The reference, made by the Union Government on May 13, seeks the Supreme Court’s opinion on a series of constitutional questions, following the court’s landmark judgment in State of Tamil Nadu vs Governor of Tamil Nadu. That ruling, widely regarded as a victory for federalism, reaffirmed that Governors are constitutionally bound to act on the aid and advice of the elected state Cabinet.
Calling the verdict “historic,” Stalin noted that it categorically struck down practices such as indefinite delays in granting assent to Bills, arbitrary withholding of assent, and prolonged inaction on legislation passed by state Assemblies. He argued that the Centre’s latest move — though it does not name the Tamil Nadu case directly — is clearly aimed at diluting that judicial pronouncement.
“The reference is a veiled attempt by the BJP-led Union Government to challenge the Supreme Court’s verdict through the advisory jurisdiction of the President,” Stalin said.
The DMK President further accused the Centre of misusing Governors as political agents to interfere in state matters — from stalling legislation and appointments to disrupting university administration — particularly in opposition-ruled states.
Stalin urged the formation of a united legal and political strategy to defend the basic structure of the Constitution. “It is imperative that all democratic forces committed to constitutional federalism come together in consultation and collaboration,” he wrote, calling for an immediate response to what he termed a dangerous precedent.(Agency)
