Highly dramatic scenes unfolded in the Tamil Nadu Assembly during the opening session of this year’s first session, on Monday, January 9. While Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) allies staged a walkout from the Assembly as soon as Governor RN Ravi started his speech, Chief Minister MK Stalin passed a resolution condemning an omission made by the Governor in his speech. Here is what happened on day one of Tamil Nadu Assembly session:
> Governor RN Ravi kicked off the year’s Assembly session with his speech, which he started in Tamil, greeting all the legislators in the House. This was when DMK allies raised slogans ‘hailing Tamil Nadu’, and legislators raised slogans, including ‘Tamil Nadu Vazhgave’ (Long live Tamil Nadu) and 'Engal Nadu Tamil Nadu' (Our land is Tamil Nadu). The sloganeering came as a protest against the Governor’s recent remark that the name of ‘Tamil Nadu’ should be changed to ‘Thamizhagam’. After raising slogans, legislators from the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and Congress staged a walkout from the Assembly.
> The legislators who boycotted the Governor's speech, speaking to the media outside the Assembly, alleged that the Governor was implementing the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They also said that he is responsible for the anti-NEET and anti-gambling bills not being passed yet. While the NEET Exemption Bill – named The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021 – is still pending the assent of the President, Governor Ravi made a note of it at the Assembly session.
> Meanwhile, inside the Assembly, Ravi was giving his customary speech that highlighted the achievements of the government and the projects undertaken. The Governor, during his speech, omitted three portions from his inaugural address – about Ambedkar, former CM K Kamarajar, Dravidian leaders Periyar, Anna, and M Karunanidhi. He also omitted portions about the Dravidian model of governance and the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu.
> The Governor’s speech is usually prepared and submitted by the Government to the Governor’s office, which will be approved after the latter goes through the speech. It is a convention in that the President or the Governor does not deviate from the speech. However, after the Governor omitted and added portions to the speech, CM MK Stalin moved a resolution urging the Speaker to declare as valid only the text prepared for the Governor’s address, which had already been tabled in the House. The Chief Minister also said that he was saddened by the Governor’s decision to omit these portions.
> “Since the Honorable Governor, whose activities are completely contrary to our Dravidian model principles, is functioning on behalf of the Government, we - following the rules of the Legislative Assembly - did not register any protest before the Governor's speech,” Stalin said while passing the resolution. He further added, “ We behaved in a manner that showed full respect to the Honorable Governor who had come to address the Assembly under the Constitution. However, he behaved not only against our policies but even against the policies of the government. The Governor not reading the full text of the address that was prepared by the Tamil Nadu government and approved by himself is not only regrettable but is also a violation of legislative traditions.”
> Soon after the CM’s resolution was passed, Governor Ravi was seen exiting the House in haste. The action was condemned by Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu as the Governor had gone out even before the national anthem was played. He termed the action as an “insult to the national anthem”. Thennarasu pointed out that AIADMK members also walked out along with the Governor, thus disrespecting the anthem.
> Condemning the protests by the allies and the resolution passed by CM Stalin, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan alleged that the government did not get the Raj Bhavan's concurrence for the prepared speech to be read by the Governor and defended Ravi and hit out at the DMK regime. BJP state president K Annamalai also took to Twitter to condemn the actions of DMK and allies, calling them “fringe elements”.
“Today, DMK and their alliance partners acted like fringe elements on the first day of this assembly session. For petty political gains, the @arivalayam govt brought shame to the house by disrupting the speech of the Honourable Governor, Thiru RN Ravi avargal,” he said and added that the Governor cannot be compelled to read out a prepared speech “when the context is far from the truth.”
Today, DMK and their alliance partners acted like fringe elements on the first day of this assembly session.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) January 9, 2023
For petty political gains, the @arivalayam govt brought shame to the house by disrupting the speech of the Honourable Governor, Thiru RN Ravi avargal. (1/6)