#GetOutRavi: Stir in Chennai due to posters against TN Guv

CHENNAI: As the tussle between the ruling DMK and the Raj Bhavan hit a new low on Monday due to Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi skipping portions of the government-prepared customary address in the Assembly, there has been a stir in the city due to posters in protest against the Governor's action.

Posters by DMK with the slogan '#GetOutRavi' were reportedly seen at Semmozhi Poonga and Anna Arivalayam in Chennai.

Yesterday, DMK allies VCK and CPM announced that they would lay siege to Raj Bhavan seeking the recall of Governor Ravi for insulting the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the elected government, and the National Anthem.

Actor and MNM founder Kamal Haasan, MDMK general secretary Vaiko and CPI state secretary R Mutharasan condemned the Governor for violating the Assembly traditions by not sticking to the State government's prepared speech.

BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan condemned the DMK government for letting floor leaders and the MLAs of its alliance parties to heckle the Governor and raise slogans against him when he was delivering his speech.

The maiden Assembly session of 2023 began with the customary Governor's address. As the Governor began with his address in the Assembly, members of the DMK's allies shouted slogans like 'Long live Tamil Nadu' and 'Condemn the Governor'. The Governor abruptly exited the House, without waiting for the customary singing of the national anthem, moments before Chief Minister M K Stalin finished moving a resolution seeking to 'remove' the portions read out by the Governor with "additions and omissions in violation of the Assembly tradition."

Soon after Speaker M Appavu read out the Tamil version of the Governor's address, Stalin moved the resolution seeking to relax rule 17 of the House and take on record only the approved speech (English) of the customary Governor's address printed and circulated among the MLAs and its Tamil version read out by the Speaker in the House. The Chief Minister also moved another resolution to 'remove' the portions read out by the Governor with 'additions' and 'omissions', deviating from the already printed speech.

It is to be noted that the Governor ‘omitted’ two paragraphs highlighting the Dravidian model of governance and lauding the contributions of Dravidian leaders Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar, and Kamarajar.