Tamilisai urges Guv Ravi and CM Stalin to bury hatchet for sake of Tamil Nadu’s progress

CHENNAI: Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Monday exhorted Governor R N Ravi and Chief Minister MK Stalin to put aside their differences and engage in a constructive dialogue to address the State's pressing issues, including the contentious appointment of Vice-Chancellors.

The former Governor, speaking to reporters at her Saligramam residence here after celebrating Pongal with party workers, emphasised that the ongoing tussle between the two Constitutional functionaries would only hinder the State's progress and deprive its citizens of much-needed benefits.

"As someone who has worked in tandem with the central government, both in harmony and discord, I can confidently attest that the people of Tamil Nadu will be the ultimate beneficiaries if the Governor and the Chief Minister were to sink their differences and work in tandem," she observed.

"It is not in the best interests of the people of Tamil Nadu for the state government to spurn the central government's initiatives," she said, citing the example of the PM Vishwakarma scheme, which she claimed had garnered better traction among the people than the state's own Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam (KKT).

Tamilisai also justified the BJP's decision to boycott the byelection to the Erode East Assembly constituency, which she described as a "protest against the ruling DMK's style of governance" rather than a boycott of the electoral process per se.

"The BJP's decision to boycott the bypoll should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness or fear of defeat," she said. Tamilisai termed the party as "dishonest" and "unworthy of contesting elections."

She also took exception to HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu's comments, which she claimed were intended to deflect attention from the State government's failures.

"The minister's assertion that the CM is acting with the speed of a storm is nothing but a clever ruse to divert attention from the government's ineptitude," she said. The storm is nowhere seen in addressing pressing issues such as the Vengaivayal, the appointment of vice-chancellors, and the abolition of NEET, she added.

The senior BJP leader also endorsed the views of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator Seeman, who had recently sparked controversy with his comments on Periyar E V Ramasamy. "Seeman's statement that Periyar is not a social reformer is welcome," she said.