The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has criticised Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for holding a review meeting with officials in Madurai on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference in Puducherry on Friday, former Tamil Nadu unit secretary of CPI (M) K. Balakrishnan said Mr. Arlekar has overstepped his Constitutional brief by holding the review meeting with Madurai District Collector and other officials. 

Urging Tamil Nadu government to condemn the decision of Mr. Arlekar to hold a review meeting, the CPI(M) leader said the Governor has no role in the day-to-day functioning of an elected government. He cannot interfere in the functioning of an elected government, he added.

The CPI (M) leader also criticised Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy for not electing a new Speaker and allocating portfolios to the Ministers. Even after two months of the declaration of Assembly election results, the post of the Speaker has not been filled and Ministers have not been allocated portfolios. All the other States that faced Assembly polls along with Puducherry, have already convened Assembly session and passed their annual budgets, he said. 

“Mr. Rangasamy is only interested in protecting his Chief Minister’s chair. He is not interested in addressing the issues of the public. It is highly condemnable that the AINRC-BJP combine, even after getting a majority in the Assembly could not provide a good government,” he said. 

Puducherry CPI(M) unit secretary S. Ramachandran was also present.