TN guv RN Ravi skips portions of customary speech in Assembly, invites ire of govt

The tussle between the ruling DMK and the Raj Bhavan hit a new low on Monday (January 9) after Governor R N Ravi skipped portions of the government-prepared customary address in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, prompting Chief Minister M K Stalin to move a resolution to exclude portions that Ravi spoke outside the government-drafted speech, from the House records.

Governor walks out of the Assembly

Following Ravi’s address, Stalin expressed regret about the governor avoiding certain portions of the prepared address. The chief minister moved a resolution, which was adopted, and Ravi left the House immediately after that.

This was a first-of-a-kind incident in the history of the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

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The “Dravidian model” was among the words skipped by the governor, and he also spoke on his own on certain aspects.

Slogans raised against the Governor

The governor began his address, marking the commencement of the year’s first session, amid slogan-shouting against him by MLAs belonging to allies of the ruling DMK.

As soon as Ravi began his address in Tamil, greeting members on the New Year and the harvest festival Pongal, legislators raised slogans including “Tamil Nadu Vazhgave” (Long live Tamil Nadu) and “Engal Nadu Tamil Nadu” (Our land is Tamil Nadu).

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After a bit, the slogan shouting ceased. The Congress, CPI, and CPI(M) are among the allies of the ruling party.

BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan alleged that the government did not get the Raj Bhavan’s concurrence for the prepared speech to be read by the governor. She defended Ravi and hit out at the DMK regime.

(With inputs from agencies)