CHENNAI: A day after Governor RN Ravi’s “Tamilagam” remarks, former union minister TR Baalu came down heavily on him, saying, “He (Ravi) is using Raj Bhavan to make those remarks that have to be made from Kamalalayam (BJP headquarters).”
Ravi had said “Tamilagam” would be a more appropriate word to address the state of Tamil Nadu. In a press statement, the former union minister said, “The Governor has been frequently dwelling upon topics like Sanatana, Aryan and Dravidian concepts, besides talking about Tirukkural and colonialism which are dangerous and absurd.”
Taking a dig at Ravi, Baalu said trying to control the “political reins” from a constitutionally authorised yet “appointed position” amounts to making a mockery of the Constitution. “Ravi’s take on the Dravidian rule reflects the BJP’s electoral politics,” he alleged.
Substantiating his claims with statistics, the former union minister said Tamil Nadu is better positioned in many economic indicators, including its share in GDP and inflation, and questioned whether Ravi was not aware of the growth trajectory of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
He further alleged the governor is making such comments with an aim to creating “division and confusion” (in the state). Meanwhile, thousands of tweets popped up on Twitter in support of the name Tamil Nadu. Many have quoted former CM CN Annadurai’s remarks when changing the name from the State of Madras to Tamil Nadu in 1968.