Despite severe indictment from the Supreme Court, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi is preparing for a fresh round of confrontation with the DMK government by convening a conference of vice chancellors of universities in the state later this week in Ooty, which will be inaugurated by Vice President Jagdish Dhankhar.

The conference, to be held on April 25 and 26 in the cool environs of the Raj Bhavan in the Nilgiris, the queen of hill stations, is seen by the DMK and its allies as an attempt at undermining the elected government even after the Supreme Court had passed strictures on Ravi’s gubernatorial overreach.

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The apex court had deemed as having assent, the 10 Bills re-passed by the assembly but referred to the President by Ravi to block them. The 10 new laws, which have been gazetted, strip the governor of his powers to appoint the VCs by transferring them to the state government.

Further, this two-day event, the fourth consecutive one, comes close on the heels of Chief Minister Stalin holding a conference of VCs and Registrars of state-run universities on April 15, soon after the 10 statutes were gazetted. The Governor had also invited VCs of private universities and Central varsities.

Dhankhar, who had criticised the apex court verdict by terming Article 142 of the Constitution as a ‘nuclear missile against democracy’ besides pouncing on Judges, gracing the occasion has raised concerns across the political spectrum.

According to the Raj Bhavan and sources close to Ravi, though the power to appoint VCs have been taken away from the Governor, he continues to be the Chancellor of state universities, retaining the duty to preside over convocations, attend meetings of the syndicate with the power to veto its decisions and call for records and to order enquiries.

However, the DMK and its allies see this as ‘contempt of court’ as the Governor had been stripped of his authority and powers vested with him as Chancellor.

“Clearly, the Governor’s action is disrespectful of the Supreme Court ruling. The BJP is bent upon crippling the education sector in the state and Ravi is pushing the agenda. He is a mischief monger,” was the reaction of DMK’s former Rajya Sabha MP, TKS Elangovan.

“It is a reflection of Ravi’s continued disregard for constitutional norms,” said Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan MP, adding that Dhankar too had acted similarly while he was West Bengal Governor. The CPI(M) has called upon the VCs to boycott the conference as it has been convened without any authority. “Since Ravi continues to function against the people of Tamil Nadu and the state government, the VCs should boycott to snub him,” party state secretary P Shanmugham said in a post on ‘X’.

The Congress has decided to hold a Black Flag protest in Ooty on April 25. TNCC president K Selvaperunmthagai charged both the governor and vice-president with undermining the constitution and launching a coordinated onslaught on federal principles and autonomy in higher education.