Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has alleged that the state police did not register his complaint against protesters who pelted stones at his convoy in Mayiladuthurai district in April 2022. He was speaking in an interview with the Times of India on Thursday, May 4, when he alleged that the Tamil Nadu police is “highly politicised" and that the attackers were not booked because they were affiliated to the ruling party. Contrary to his claim, the Mayiladuthurai police sub inspector Subasree had registered a First Information Report (FIR) on the attacks on the convoy at 6.30 pm the same evening.
On April 19, 2022, when Ravi’s convoy crossed AVC College in Mannampandal on its way to Dharmapuram Adheenam (a Saiviite monastery) in Mayiladuthurai, cadres of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) protested by waving black flags. The protests were directed against Ravi withholding several Bills that were sent to Raj Bhavan for his assent by the state legislature. Party cadres raised slogans against Ravi and waved black flags at his convoy.
The FIR stated that the Mayiladuthurai police arrested the protesters at 11.10 am, only five minutes after the incident occurred. The police booked CPI(M) district secretary Srinivasan, VCK zonal secretary Velu Gubendran, Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam leader Mahesh, Methane Ethirppu Kulu (Anti-methane project movement) organiser Jayaraman.
They were booked under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 188 (disobedience to public servant’s order), 341(wrongful restraint), 427(mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 50) and 511 (attempts to commit offences not made punishable by other specific sections) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Cases against them were booked based on the complaints given by Mannampandal village administrative officer. On the same day, Mayiladuthurai police registered cases against another 18 persons belonging to different political outfits under sections 188, 341, and 143 of the IPC.
“The TN police is very smart, well-trained, and reasonably well-equipped. But it is deeply politicised,” Ravi said in the interview. He highlighted his visit to Mayiladuthurai, and the threats and abuses he has received, saying that even though he had filed complaints in both cases, the police had not registered either.
“In both the cases, the Governor lodged the FIR and the police did not register it. This was because the accused were from the ruling party. Now, if a Governor cannot get an FIR registered, that doesn’t speak well of the police," he said when asked for his comment on policing in the state.
In the TOI interview, he also made strongly worded remarks against the state government, including that the state followed a Dravidian model ideology that enforced “linguistic apartheid” and fostered separatist sentiments.