Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi could not digest the fact that the state was developing and his decision not to address the Assembly was “childish”, Chief Minister MK Stalin said on Saturday.
The State Legislative Assembly has been witnessing strange scenes in the past few years after Mr Ravi took over as governor, he said. “The governor comes to the Assembly but returns without addressing the House. That is why I had said that his actions were childish,” Stalin told the Assembly.
According to Article 176 of the Constitution, the Governor must deliver his speech before the Legislative Assembly at the beginning of the session. “But he seems keen to break the rules in a planned manner,” the Prime Minister said in closing the debate on the motion of thanks to the governor for his speech.
In 2022, this governor delivered his speech without changing the speech. But over the next three years he avoided making his usual speech, citing “absurd” reasons, the prime minister said.
Singing the Tamil National Anthem (Tamil Thai Valthu) before the session begins and playing the National Anthem after the speech has been a long-standing tradition. “I think the governor cannot come to terms with the fact that Tamil Nadu is developing. I may be an ordinary person, but this Legislative Assembly came into being because of the sentiments of millions of people,” Stalin said.
This House cannot tolerate the Governor doing anything with political motives that undermines the position and responsibility he held by disrespecting the dignity of this Assembly, disrespecting the sentiments of the people and 'daring' the Tamil song to insult. “We should not see such things again,” the prime minister added.
On January 6, Mr. Ravi left the Assembly without arranging the usual address. The Raj Bhavan later said he left “in deep fear” as the national anthem was not played.
“Disrespecting the Constitution does not bode well for democracy,” the governor had said at the time. In his response, Stalin had said, “It was childish that the governor chose not to read out the government speech.” In his reply to the House today, Stalin recalled that the Dravidian uprising was born against neglect, humiliation and oppression. Stalin, chairman of DMK, exuded confidence that his party would certainly form the government for the seventh time.
On the Opposition AIADMK members who turned up in the Assembly in black shirts and saris to protest against the state government over the Anna University student molestation case, he sought to know whether they had the courage to don a 'black shirt organize a protest against the governor. who continued to insult Tamil Nadu.
“I would have been happy if the AIADMK had worn black shirts to condemn the Union government or the national education policy,” the chief minister said.
On the law and order situation, Stalin said the police functioned independently and reduced crimes. He was a liberal in allowing agitation by the opposition parties, the CM said.
Later, Leader of the House Duraimurugan asked Speaker M Appavu to give his verdict on the discussion between the Chief Minister and Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami on the facts surrounding filing of FIR in Pollachi sexual assault case.
Appavu stated that after examining the evidence placed before him by the Chief Minister and Palaniswami, it was clear that the FIR was registered 12 days after the crime was reported.
“The Chief Minister had conveyed the right information to the House,” Appavu said.
As the AIADMK members protested against his statement, Appavu said he would let the matter rest at this time without going into details and adjourned the House for good.
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