Stalin urges CMs of non-BJP ruled states to oppose Presidential reference in SC
Chennai(PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday urged his counterparts in 8 states, including West Bengal, to oppose the Presidential reference to Supreme Court on deadlines for the President, Governor over Bills and batted for a coordinated legal strategy.
Stalin, president of the Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK said, it is well known that the advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court cannot be invoked or exercised when the issue in question has already been decided by an authoritative pronouncement of the court.
"Yet, the BJP government has pressed ahead with seeking a reference, which points to their sinister intent," he alleged.
He requested the chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states to oppose this reference sought by the President before the Supreme Court.
Writing to them, in a letter dated May 17, he said: "We must evolve a coordinated legal strategy before the court and present a united front to preserve and protect the basic structure of the Constitution, as upheld by our Supreme Court in its historic judgement (State of Tamil Nadu vs Governor of Tamil Nadu). I look forward to your immediate and personal intervention in this vital issue."
Besides West Bengal, Stalin wrote to the chief ministers of Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Jharkhand, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Tamil Nadu chief minister said President Droupadi Murmu, under the advice of the Union government, posed the Supreme Court 14 questions, under Article 143 of the Constitution on 13 May, 2025.
Though the reference does not specifically refer to any state or judgement, its intent is to question the findings on law and interpretation of the Constitution given by the Supreme Court in the case of State of Tamil Nadu vs Governor of Tamil Nadu. This historic judgement is not only for Tamil Nadu but for all states since it upholds the federal structure and distribution of powers between the States and the Union, thus effectively preventing the obstruction of legislations enacted by democratically elected state legislatures by an appointee of the union and an unelected figurehead - the governor.
BJP-led union government has used governors to obstruct and impede functioning of opposition ruled states. They inordinately delay assent to Bills, withhold assent without valid constitutional or legal reasons, sit over routine files and government orders sent for signature, interfere in appointments to important posts and have abused their position as chancellor of universities to politicise educational institutions.
"They have been able to do so by taking advantage of the fact that the Constitution is silent on certain issues, because the framers of the Constitution trusted that those holding high constitutional office would act in accordance with constitutional morality." It was in this context that the Supreme Court passed the landmark judgement in the TN Governor's case.
"Now this judgement will ensure that the Union Government does not unduly interfere with the State Governments performing our roles and responsibilities within the spheres given to us under the Constitution."
Obviously, the BJP is attempting to unsettle this judgement, which can be invoked as a precedent by other states when faced with an obstinate governor. The BJP government advised the President to seek a reference before the Supreme Court and it was a ploy, Stalin alleged.
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'Go back to your own country': Indian-origin taxi driver attacked in Dublin
London, Aug 5 (PTI): An Indian-origin taxi driver based in Ireland for over 23 years has become the latest to be targeted in an unprovoked attack in the capital Dublin, with local police (Gardai) launching an investigation into the violent assault.
Lakhvir Singh, in his 40s, told local media that he picked up two young men in their 20s on Friday night and dropped them at Poppintree, in the Ballymun suburb of Dublin.
Upon arriving at the destination, the men are said to have opened the vehicle door and struck him twice on the head with a bottle. As the suspects fled, they reportedly shouted: "Go back to your own country".
"In 10 years I've never seen anything like this happen," Singh told ‘Dublin Live’.
"I'm really scared now and I'm off the road at the moment. It will be very hard to go back. My children are really scared," he said.
A Dublin police spokesperson said Singh was taken to the city's Beaumont Hospital with injuries determined as not life-threatening.
"Gardaí are investigating an assault reported to have occurred in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11 at approximately 11:45 pm on Friday, 1st August 2025. A man, aged in his 40s, was brought to Beaumont Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injury. Investigations are ongoing," the spokesperson said.
The incident followed an Indian Embassy advisory, also issued on Friday, expressing safety concerns following recent attacks in and around the capital Dublin and urging Indian citizens to take safety precautions.
"There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently,” states the advisory.
“The embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard. At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours," the statement reads, adding emergency embassy contact details as 0899423734 and cons.dublin@mea.gov.in.
It came in the wake of a brutal attack on a 40-year-old Indian man at Parkhill Road in the Tallaght suburb of Dublin on July 19, described as “mindless, racist violence” by locals.
The Gardai had opened an investigation into the case and Indian Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra was among those who took to social media to express shock over the attack.
“Regarding the recent incident of physical attack on an Indian national that happened in Tallaght, Dublin, the embassy is in touch with the victim and his family. All the requisite assistance is being offered. The embassy is also in touch with the relevant Irish authorities in this regard,” the embassy said in a social media post days after the incident.
A Stand Against Racism protest was also held by the local community in condemnation of what was described as a "vicious racist attack" and to express solidarity with migrants.
Last week, Dr Santosh Yadav took to LinkedIn to post details of a “brutal, unprovoked racist attack”.
The entrepreneur and AI expert stressed that it was not an isolated incident and called for “concrete measures” from the governments of Ireland and India to ensure Indians feel safe to walk the streets of Dublin.
His post revealed that a group of six teenagers attacked him from behind as he walked to his apartment in Dublin.
“This is not an isolated incident. Racist attacks on Indian men and other minorities are surging across Dublin — on buses, in housing estates, and on public streets. Yet, the government is silent. There is no action being taken against these perpetrators. They run free and are emboldened to attack again,” reads Yadav's post.
Fine Gael party Councillor for Tallaght South, Baby Pereppadan, was among those who expressed concern following last month’s attack.
“People need to understand that many Indian people moving to Ireland are here on work permits, to study and work in the healthcare sector or in IT and so on, providing critical skills,” he said.
Another violent anti-Indian attack in Ireland
— Journalist V (@OnTheNewsBeat) August 5, 2025
Taxi driver Lakhvir Singh was attacked with glass bottles while doing his job pic.twitter.com/mtkwhLWISx
