Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi walked out of the Assembly on Monday after Chief Minister MK Stalin moved a motion asking the Speaker to record only the speech prepared by the state government and to remove parts the Governor added or omitted from the traditional speech. . The Assembly passed a resolution to record only the original speech of the Governor, which was prepared by the State Government and translated by the Speaker. RN Ravi huffed away after a while without waiting for the national anthem to be sung.
The Governor skipped parts of the speech prepared by the state government which referred to secularism, described Tamil Nadu as a haven of peace and mentioned leaders like Periyar, BR Ambedkar, K Kamaraj, CN Annadurai and Karunanidhi, after which the Chief Minister moved the proposal. He also did not read the reference to the ‘Dravidian model’ promoted by the ruling DMK.
MK Stalin, in the resolution, said the Governor’s move was “against the tradition of the Assembly”.
Allies of the ruling DMK — Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI, and CPI(M) — had earlier boycotted the Governor’s address, after protesting, raising slogans, his delay in clearing bills, including those related to prohibition. online gambling, and severing the governor’s power to appoint vice-chancellors to state universities. 21 Bills passed by the Assembly are pending with the Governor.
“Quit Tamil Nadu” chants echoed in the Assembly against Mr Ravi. The ruling DMK MLAs also chanted “Don’t impose BJP, RSS ideology”.
Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram called for the governor’s removal, calling his stance “untenable”.
DMK MLAs also protested the Governor’s recent comments that ‘Thamizhagam’ would be a “more appropriate name” for Tamil Nadu.
“Unfortunately there has been regressive politics in Tamil Nadu that we are Dravidians, and we have been united on the basis of the Constitution. The whole effort has been made over half a century to reinforce this narrative that we are not part of the nation, an integral part of the nation. And even to create a different kind of narrative. Done. Everything that applies to the entire country, Tamil Nadu will not say,” the Governor said while addressing a function at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. To congratulate the organizers and volunteers of the Kashi-Tamil Sangam.
“It has become a habit. So many theses have been written – all lies and bad fictions. It must be broken. Truth must prevail. Indeed, Tamil Nadu is the land that holds the soul of India. It is its identity. India. In fact, Thamizhagam It would be a more appropriate word to call it,” the governor said.
The governor and the state government are at loggerheads, with the ruling party accusing Mr Ravi of acting at the behest of the BJP. DMK MP TR Balu had earlier slammed Mr Ravi for his suggestion to change the name of his state and said he should stop acting as “BJP’s second state president”.
“Governor RN Ravi makes some controversial comments every day to create confusion, division and conflict. Governor says ‘people have been cheated in 50 years of Dravidian politics’. It is highly condemnable because he should be saying this from BJP’s state headquarters Kamalalayam. And from Raj Bhavan. No,” said Mr Baloo
