CHENNAI: After the previous year’s drama replayed in the Assembly on Tuesday with Governor RN Ravi refusing to read out the customary address and walking out, Chief Minister MK Stalin said the ruling DMK will work towards doing away with the customary Governor's address at the first session of the Assembly every year.
Citing the non-rendering of the National Anthem before the commencement of proceedings, the Governor declined to read the address prepared by the State government. Despite two requests from Speaker M Appavu to adhere to constitutional provisions and deliver the address, the Governor refused and exited the Assembly hall. The alliance partners of the DMK, raised slogans against the Governor when he crossed in the assembly hall.
Following this, the Speaker ruled that the press and media should not publish the exchange that took place between him and the Governor on the floor of the House.
Speaking after a resolution was adopted approving the printed copy of the Governor's address, Stalin said it was regrettable that the Governor had once again acted in the same manner as in previous years.
"I have a responsibility to safeguard the dignity of the Assembly, which represents the aspirations of our people. Therefore, I moved a resolution to relax Rule 17," Stalin said.
Following this, the House adopted a resolution moved by the chief minister to ensure that only the address prepared by the State government would form part of the official Assembly records. The statements made by the Governor in the House were excluded from the records.
The resolution was adopted by voice vote, Speaker M Appavu read out the full Tamil version of the Governor's address in the House.
Stalin said it was inappropriate for the Governor to refuse to properly read out the address prepared and forwarded by the State government. He added that this was not an isolated issue in Tamil Nadu alone, but that Governors in several other States had become "obstacles" to the functioning of elected State governments.
The chief minister further said that the DMK, along with like-minded political parties across the country, would take steps to seek a constitutional amendment so that the first session of the Assembly in a year need not begin with the customary Governor's address.
Addressing reporters later, the Speaker said, "The Governor was invited with a red carpet. There was no disrespect shown to him. "
Explaining his intervention, the Speaker said he stepped in only when the Governor deviated from the customary address approved by the Cabinet. "My intervention was necessary as the Governor was going beyond the text prepared by the elected government," he said.
Alleging that the Governor had no moral authority to criticise the State government, Appavu said, "If the Governor wishes to indulge in politics, he can step out of Lok Bhavan, join a political party and then criticise the government."