Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, who addressed the year’s first session of State Legislative Assembly on Monday, skipped references to father of the Indian Constitution B. R. Ambedkar, Dravidar Kazhagam founder Periyar, former Chief Ministers K. Kamaraj and C. N. Annadurai, as well as the “Dravidian model” of government, mentioned in the 65th paragraph of the printed copy of his speech.
The portion of the speech the Governor Ravi skipped was: “Following the principles and ideals of stalwarts like Thanthai Periyar, Annal Ambedkar, Perunthalaivar Kamarajar, Perarignar Anna and Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar, this government has been delivering the much acclaimed Dravidian Model of governance to its people.”
After the Governor skipped some parts of the prepared text in his customary Address to the House, Governor R.N. Ravi walked out as CM M.K. Stalin moved a resolution to retain, on records, only the full text tabled in the House.
Stalin said that portions “inserted” or “omitted” by the Governor in his oral address should not be part of the records.
Describing the act of the Governor as “very sad and against the tradition of the Assembly,” Stalin pointed out that he had omitted portions of “the speech prepared by the State government and approved by him (Ravi).”
“We conducted ourselves in a manner to accord full respect to the Governor who came to the Assembly to deliver his address as per the Constitution. But he acted not only against our ideology, but also against the government by not reading the speech prepared by the government and approved by him,” Stalin added.
“Though the Governor was functioning totally against the Dravidian model government and it was unacceptable to us, we did not record our opposition as we are in the government,” he added.
