Ravi must discharge Guv’s duties, stop acting like politician: DMK

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK on Wednesday came down heavily against Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi for posting "politically motivated" tweets on the official Twitter handle of Raj Bhavan and said that the gubernatorial head of the State must discharge his designated duties instead of acting like a member of a political party.

In a stinging statement critical of the Governor, State Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy took strong exception to Raj Bhavan's "politically motivated and mischievous" tweets regarding the law and order situation of the State in the backdrop of Krishnagiri army man's alleged murder, and said, "He (Ravi) must desist from posting such politically motivated messages on Twitter and focus on discharging the duties of the Governor, which would only do justice to the emoluments he's being paid using the taxpayer's money."

Remarking that the Governor has been functioning like a propaganda secretary of a party and preaching Sanathan Dharma in violation of the secular Constitution he swore an oath on, the minister said that clarified that the accused has been arrested in Krishnagiri army man's murder case and there was nothing political in the incident other than the accused being a councillor of the ruling party.

Charging the State BJP with reducing even patriotism to an object of political gain, Ponmudy sought to know when the Raj Bhavan, which posted the request of a group of ex-servicemen who attended a political motivated agitation of a political party, would disclose the status of the legislation banning online gambling sent for his assent by the State Assembly.

Accusing the Governor of making unwanted comments about socialist icon Karl Marx, the minister said that the ideology of Karl Marx would be a bitter pill for ignorant people who intend to protect varnashram based discrimination and it does not behove a position of governor to make such utterances in public.

Left announced black flag protest.

Left parties announced a black flag protest in front of the Raj Bhavan on February 28 condemning Ravi for his remark against Karl Marx.

"We have decided to hold black flag protests against Ravi wherever he visits demanding an apology for abusing power and speaking inappropriately and slandering Marxism," CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan said in a statement.

Accusing the clueless Governor of insulting Marx and Marxism, he said, "RSS borrowed the philosophy of "one flag, one leader, one country" and shakha from fascist Mussolini and flag salute and Swastika from Hitler."

CPI state secretary R Mutharasan said that Karl Marx was accepted as the greatest among scholars born in the millennium.

"Unaware of this, Ravi has said that Marx's thinking has divided India. It only shows his ignorance," he said.