Chennai, May 15 (Reporter) Strongly condemning the Union Government's Presidential reference that attempts to subvert the Constitutional position settled by the Supreme Court in the Tamil Nadu Governor's case, Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin on Thursday said it poses a clear exigent to State autonomy and urged the all non-BJP ruled to join this legal struggle to defend the Constitution. Stating that the country stands at a critical juncture, he said the questions raised in the reference reveal the BJP-led Union Government’s sinister intent to distort the Constitution’s basic distribution of powers and incapacitate the State Legislatures dominated by opposition parties. It poses a clear exigent threat to State autonomy and a desperate attempt to weaken democratically elected State Governments by placing them under the control of Governors serving as agents of the Union Government. It also directly challenges the majesty of law and the authority of the Supreme Court as the final interpreter of the Constitution. Referring to the Supreme Court's landmark judgment in the Tamil Nadu Governor's case on pending Bills passed in the State Assembly and prescribing time limits for giving his assent, Mr Stalin sought to know why should there be any objection to prescribing time limits for Governors to act? He also asked whether the BJP seeking to legitimise its Governors’ obstruction by allowing indefinite delays in Bill assent with an intention to paralyse non-BJP State Legislatures. In a social media post, he said this attempt by te Centre clearly exposed the fact that the Tamil Nadu Governor acted at BJP's behest to undermine the people's mandate. "I strongly condemn the Union Government’s Presidential reference, which attempts to subvert the Constitutional position already settled by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the Tamil Nadu Governor’s case and other precedents." "This attempt clearly exposes the fact that the Tamil Nadu Governor acted at the BJP’s behest to undermine the people’s mandate", Mr Stalin said. "This is nothing but a desperate attempt to weaken democratically elected State Governments by placing them under the control of Governors serving as agents of the Union Government", he said. "It also directly challenges the majesty of law and the authority of the Supreme Court as the final interpreter of the Constitution", the Chief Minister wrote. "Why should there be any objection to prescribing time limits for Governors to act? Is the BJP seeking to legitimise its Governors’ obstruction by allowing indefinite delays in Bill assent? Does the Union Government intend to paralyse non-BJP State Legislatures?", Mr Stalin asked. "Our nation stands at a critical juncture. The questions raised in the reference reveal the BJP-led Union Government’s sinister intent to distort the Constitution’s basic distribution of powers and incapacitate the State Legislatures dominated by opposition parties. Thus, it poses a clear exigent threat to State autonomy", he added. "In these grave circumstances, I urge all non-BJP States and party leaders to join this legal struggle to defend the Constitution.", he said "We will fight this battle with all our might. Tamil Nadu will fight — and Tamil Nadu will win!", he said...////...