Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi Refuses to Deliver Customary Address in Assembly, Exits Amidst Tensions with State Government

In a renewed clash with the M K Stalin government, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi walked out of the Assembly on Monday, declining to present the customary address at the commencement of the annual session. This marked a continuation of last year’s incident when Governor Ravi had chosen to omit portions of the official speech prepared by the ruling DMK government.

Governor Ravi cited persistent neglect of his requests and advice regarding the national anthem’s inclusion at the beginning and end of his address. Expressing disagreement with numerous passages in the prepared speech on both factual and moral grounds, he emphasized that vocalizing these points could potentially constitute a constitutional travesty. With due respect to the House, Governor Ravi concluded his address, wishing for a productive and constructive discussion for the welfare of the people. He concluded with, “Vaazhga Tamil Nadu, Vaazhaga Bharatam, Jai Hind, Jai Bharat, Nandri.”

In the aftermath of Governor Ravi’s departure, Assembly Speaker M Appavu proceeded to read the Tamil version of the prepared address. The address underscored the economic growth and societal advancements achieved by the Stalin-led government, even in the face of numerous adversities over the years.

Addressing the Assembly with Governor Ravi in attendance, Speaker Appavu acknowledged the Governor’s expression of his perspective. He pointed out that the flood relief funds from the Centre to the state were still pending, suggesting that the Governor could recommend to the Union Government to release Rs 50,000 crore from the PM Cares Fund for flood relief.

Before the rendition of the national anthem, Governor Ravi left the Tamil Nadu Assembly, marking a symbolic conclusion to the contentious episode in the ongoing interactions between the state government and the Governor.