Guv Ravi skips 'Tamil Nadu' in Assembly address, walks out after CM Stalin questions speech

Condemning governor RN Ravi for skipping portions in his customary address to the Assembly session, Chief Minister MK Stalin said, "It is wrong. Only what has been printed should enter into the records". Following the CM's criticism and opposition, Ravi left the House in a huff before the national anthem was played, reports ETV Bharat's MC Rajan.

Chennai: Continuing his confrontational approach towards the DMK Government headed by MK Stalin, Governor RN Ravi skipped the state's name 'Tamil Nadu' and the names of Dravidian stalwarts in his address, inviting condemnation in the Assembly on the first session of the new year on Monday.

Following it, a maiden resolution against the Governor was adopted by the Legislative Assembly even as he was seen walking out of the House before the national anthem in a break from tradition. It was the first time a governor had skipped certain parts in the address and not surprisingly, it had earned the ire of the ruling DMK and its allies, who have raised a pitch for Ravi's recall.

Upping the ante, Ravi skipped portions and names of the icons of Tamil Nadu like rationalist anti- brahmin leader 'Periyar' EV Ramasamy, Dr BR Ambedkar, DMK founder and late Chief Minister CN Annadurai, Congress Stalwart and late Chief Minister K Kamaraj, DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. He also left out 'Tamil Nadu', 'Tamil Nadu remaining a garden of peace', 'social justice', 'Dravidian model', equality, secularism and 'communal harmony'.

Among the other lines that he skipped included 'Let's fall so that Tamil might survive', a quote from Karunanidhi. On his part, the governor made references to Swami Vivekananda, and instead of Tamil Nadu government, he said 'This Government'. Stung by the governor's action, Chief Minister Stalin moved a resolution that only printed address should enter the Assembly records.

The resolution was passed following the Chief Minister's criticism, "it is wrong not to read the address in toto. The convention is for the governor to read what we prepared and presented to him." Later, addressing the media, Industries Minister Thangam Thennarsu said, "the governor had not given due respect to our national anthem."

"He had skipped even the name of Ambedkar among others. The address was sent to him in advance and he had given his consent without any objections. We did not receive any objection from Raj Bhavan. Constitutionally, he is bound to adhere to the norms. He has deviated," the Minister said. Condemnation against the governor has come from all the allies of the DMK. Analysts too opine that the governor had transgressed his limits.

"The address is the policy of the elected government and is presented to the governor in advance. He comes to the assembly accepting the contents. But, skipping portions begs an explanation from the Raj Bhavan. He cannot impose his will and political ideology which is not his brief. He should either be recalled or quit," argues Priyan, a senior journalist.

For, VCK general secretary D Ravikumar, the governor had forfeited his authority to continue in office. "He is not only working at cross purposes with the government with a popular mandate. He has to go. All political parties should unite to get him out of office." This is the stand of Congress, the Left, and other allies.

Coming to the aid of the governor, the principal opposition AIADMK, which also left the House before the national anthem, said it was the prerogative of the governor. "We have come to listen to the governor and not what the government says. We are yet to see what is there in the address," the leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) told news persons.

Interestingly, EPS and O Panneerselvam (OPS), expelled from the AIADMK, were sitting together. Despite the EPS faction removing OPS as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker had not acceded to it leading walkout by the EPS faction earlier.