The Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam’s Kancheepuram District President has petitioned the Madras High Court to challenge the authority By virtue of his appointment as Chairman of the Auroville Foundation, Governor RN Ravi is still in office. The petitioner, M. Kannadasan, claimed that the Chairman was entitled to wages and allowances as well as other benefits like leave, pension, provident fund, etc. as determined by the Central Government under Section 13 of the Auroville Foundation Act.
Kannadasan argued that the minute Ravi took the job of Chairman, he was ineligible to remain in the office of the Governor under Article 158(2) of the Indian Constitution, which forbids the Governor from holding any other position of profit.
The petition also claims that Ravi’s actions were contrary to the Constitution’s directives and his office’s oath of office. It is argued that once he had broken the Constitution’s rules, he was no longer eligible to hold the office of Governor of Tamil Nadu and was subject to immediate removal. On September 18, 2021, Ravi took over as the governor of Tamil Nadu.
By using the authority granted to it by sections 11 and 12 of the Auroville Foundation Act 1988, the Ministry of Education issued a notification on October 6, 2021, designating Ravi as the organization’s chairman and eight other people as members.
The petition also claims that Ravi violated Auroville’s nonreligious, casteless, humanitarian, international spiritual organization’s mandate while serving as the foundation’s chairman. The remarks made by Ravi while serving as the governor, in which he was purportedly promoting the Sanatana Dharma, were also brought to light.
