Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi refuses to read Governor’s address at T.N. Assembly

Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi on Monday, February 12, 2024 refused to read out the customary address on the opening day of the Legislative Assembly session, saying it contained numerous passages with which he disagreed on factual and moral grounds.

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“This address has numerous passages with which I convincingly disagree on factual and moral grounds. I, lending my voice to them, would constitute constitutional travesty. Hence with respect to the House I conclude my address,” he said in his speech

The Governor also charged, that his “repeated request and advice to show due respect to the national anthem and play it at the beginning and end of the address has been ignored.”

Wishing the House “a productive and healthy discussion for the good of the people,” he concluded his speech with the slogans, “Vazhga Tamil Nadu, Vazhga Bharatham. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat, Nandri.”

Click here to read/download the intended speech of Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi

Following this, Speaker M. Appavu began reading out the Tamil version of the Governor’s approved address to the House.

Last year, the Governor had stormed out of the House, after Chief Minister M K Stalin moved a resolution urging the Speaker to take on record only the approved text of the Governor’s address. This was after Mr Ravi skipped certain portions of the address and made certain extempore remarks.