CHENNAI: Following the drama witnessed in the Assembly on Monday, with Governor RN Ravi walking out without delivering his customary address, the Opposition parties blamed the state for forcing the governor to do so. Meanwhile, allies of the ruling DMK criticised Ravi, with some of them urging the centre to recall him.
Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged that the ruling DMK is acting with the intention of preventing the governor from speaking.
Moreover, he said, “For the past four years, the government has only repeated the same points from previous speeches, without introducing anything fresh or meaningful.”
AIADMK MLAs were evicted from the Assembly on Monday after they tried to protest inside the House with posters condemning the government. Blaming the government for deteriorating law and order that has led to increase in cases of sexual assaults, Palaniswami said a Special Investigation Team was constituted by the Madras High Court to investigate the Anna University sexual assault case after the AIADMK moved the court to ensure justice for the survivor.
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai, whose party also tried to protest inside the Assembly and staged a walked out later, alleged that the governor walking out, citing alleged insult to national anthem, was in fact an insult to the Assembly and the Constitution.
Palaniswami said his party members tried to protest inside the Assembly against the governor’s “anti-people” measures and his actions that had allegedly led to many state-run universities functioning without vice-chancellors.
CPM state secretary P Shanmugam condemned Ravi for his “routine” of walking out and said the governor should either resign or the union government should recall him. CPI state secretary R Mutharasan said the governor had failed to fulfil the duties as per the Constitution.
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan condemned the governor and urged the union government to recall him. BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan said her party MLAs walked out to condemn the state’s alleged lethargy in investigating the Anna University case.
BJP state president K Annamalai refuted the government’s claim that the convention has always been to sing national anthem only at the end of governor’s address. He said, in 1991, both Tamil Thai Vazhthu and national anthem were sung at the beginning and end of the governor’s address.
While criticising governor for walking out, PMK founder S Ramadoss, however, said it was disappointing that the state government had no new schemes in the address it prepared.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko alleged that the governor had decided in advance to not read the speech. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay said Ravi should follow the conventions of the Assembly and the continuing conflict between the governor and government is not good for democracy.
