Chief Minister Stalin had earlier criticised the Governor for walking out of the Assembly without delivering his customary annual address, calling the behaviour “childish.”
Published Jan 12, 2025 | 6:47 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 12, 2025 | 6:47 PM
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. (Raj Bhavan/ X)
The Tamil Nadu Governor’s office on Sunday, 12 January, hit back at Chief Minister MK Stalin for describing Governor RN Ravi as “childish” after the latter walked out without delivering his customary annual address at the opening session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly earlier this month.
In a strongly worded statement, the Raj Bhavan accused Stalin of arrogance and undermining constitutional values.
“Thiru MK Stalin asserts that insisting on due respect to the National Anthem and fulfilling fundamental duties enshrined in the Constitution is ‘absurd’ and ‘childish,’” read the statement posted on its official X handle.
“Thanks for betraying the true intentions of the coalition of interests and ideologies to which he is a leader that does not accept and respect Bharat as a nation and Her Constitution. Such arrogance is not good.
Governor Ravi walks out of the assembly
“Please do not forget that Bharat is the supreme Mother and the Constitution the supreme faith for her children. They will not like or tolerate such brazen insult.”
Thiru @mkstalin asserts that insisting on due respect to the National Anthem and doing fundamental duties enshrined in the Constitution is “absurd” and “childish”. Thanks for betraying the true intentions of the coalition of interests and ideologies to which he is a leader that…
— RAJ BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@rajbhavan_tn) January 12, 2025
The remarks come nearly a week after Governor Ravi walked out of the Assembly session on 6 January, after kicking up a row over the assembly playing Tamil Thai Vazhthu, the state anthem, and not the National Anthem during the session’s opening proceedings.
The Governor’s office deemed it an insult to the National Anthem and the Constitution. The ruling alliance in the state noted that the National Anthem is traditionally played during the final act of the session.
In a statement following the incident, Chief Minister Stalin had criticised the Governor’s actions, calling them “childish behaviour” and accusing him of disrespecting the Tamil Nadu Assembly and its elected government.
The Tamil version of the Governor’s prepared speech was later read out by Speaker M Appavu.
Meanwhile, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan proposed a resolution in the Assembly on Monday to record only the printed portions of the Governor’s address in the official proceedings. The session concluded with the singing of the National Anthem, as per conventional practice.
(Edited Dese Gowda)
