Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s Working President MK Stalin on Sunday criticised Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit for indulging in “direct politics”.

He condemned a statement put out by the Raj Bhavan earlier in the day, which cited a legal provision to imprison the people who were trying to “restrain” the governor from exercising his power. The DMK “will not run away from the responsibility and will not be cowed down by such empty threats”, PTI quoted Stalin as saying. He added that his party will continue to protest to protect the state’s autonomy.

The Opposition party in Tamil Nadu has been protesting against the governor’s visits to districts, where, it claimed, Purohit held “review meetings” with district officials. Claiming the governor was interfering in the administration of the state’s affairs, the DMK had held a “siege Raj Bhavan” protest on June 23 and demanded Purohit’s resignation.

In response to these protests, the Raj Bhavan on Sunday said: “In the capacity of [the] governor being head of the executive, he enjoys unhindered freedom to meet and interact with officials of the state, who are members of the executive wing.”

The statement took exception to Stalin’s comments that Purohit was “holding review meetings in every district like a chief minister”. The DMK leader was trying to “mislead the people”, the Raj Bhavan said. “He [Stalin] is either ignorant of the law or attempting to overawe by threatening to besiege Raj Bhavan or block the roads leading to Raj Bhavan,” the statement read. “Any attempt to overawe or assault or use criminal force will be dealt with as per the law.”

Citing section 124 of the Indian Penal Code, the statement added that “whoever with the intention of inducing or compelling the president of India, or the governor of any state... shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years.”

“DMK only protested when the governor organised meeting of officials in districts thereby interfering in the rights of an elected government,” Stalin said, adding that the party never agitated when Purohit participated in event as the chancellor of universities.

Pointing out that governors in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal never conducted such “review meetings”, Stalin said, “Since the governor is a representative of the ruling BJP, he is playing the role of the Tamil Nadu BJP president. The people of Tamil Nadu and media have understood that through such review meetings, he is seeking to help the BJP’s vote bank politics.”