The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking a directive to the Secretary of the President of India and others to recall Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. The Governor had walked out of the Legislative Assembly on January 6 without delivering his customary address.

Terming the plea as “ill-conceived,” Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, heading a bench that included Justice Sanjay Kumar, stated that no directive could be issued to the Secretary of the President of India for the removal of a Governor.

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Governor Ravi left the Assembly when Tamil Thai Vazhthu, the Tamil Nadu state anthem, was being sung at the start of his customary address instead of the national anthem.

The plea, filed by advocate CR Jaya Sukin, noted, “He (Governor Ravi) has completed a hat-trick of walkouts from the Legislative Assembly. He claimed that the national anthem was not played as per his request before his official address. Instead, Tamil Thai Vazhthu (Invocation to Mother Tamil) was sung.”

According to reports, Governor Ravi stirred controversy by walking out of the state assembly before his opening address. The Governor has stated that despite multiple requests, the national anthem was not played before the House convened for the first time this year.

The petition cited constitutional provisions, arguing that under Article 153, there shall be a Governor for each state, and under Article 155, the President appoints the Governor. Article 163 states that there shall be a Council of Ministers to aid and advise the Governor. The plea argued that it is not the Governor’s duty to mandate the order of playing the national anthem.

“The Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has now violated all terms and conditions of the Indian Constitution. The customary address by the Governor at the beginning of a new year’s session is turning into an unsavoury event year after year,” the plea stated.

Since taking office as Tamil Nadu Governor, Ravi has made politically charged statements, disregarding the neutrality expected from his position. He has described the Dravidian model of governance as “an expired ideology,” the petition noted.

The plea further alleged that Governor Ravi has delayed legislation by refusing assent to bills, sending them back, or withholding them. The petitioner contended that the Governor has frequently criticized the Dravidian culture and model of governance, arguing that he should refrain from entering the political arena and should only discharge functions as specified in the Constitution.