TN Guv Ravi insults position he holds by not reading speech in Assembly: CM Stalin
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday claimed that Governor R N Ravi "insulted" the gubernatorial position he holds, by not reading out the speech at the commencement of the Assembly session.
Stating that he was constrained to criticise the Governor for his actions, the chief minister said many governors that Tamil Nadu has seen in the past were not like Ravi.
"I am facing the crisis that was not witnessed during the tenures of former chief ministers C N Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa...Governor (Ravi) is insulting the position he holds by not reading the speech at the start of the Assembly session and insisting upon playing the national anthem at the start of the Assembly session," the chief minister said in his reply to the motion of thanks to the Governor's address, in the Assembly.
Governor R N Ravi declined to deliver the customary speech prepared by the state government on the first day of the current Assembly session on Tuesday, claiming there were "inaccuracies" in the text. Speaker Appavu had read out the Tamil version of the text.
The National Anthem, Stalin said, was always played at the conclusion of the Governor's speech in TN Assembly and Tamil Thai Vazhthu (Mother Tamil invocation) was played at the commencement.
"We are not inferior to anyone in patriotism, and no one needs to teach us," Stalin said and added that the crisis was something not new to him. "I have faced numerous challenges in the past and overcame them," he said.
In his reply, which was received by the Treasury Benches with loud thumping, the Chief Minister said, "In the last five years, this Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin lived for the people and formulated plans for their well-being and developed Tamil Nadu as a whole. This is a fact. I can understand that the opposition parties are unable to bear this".
Expressing "pain" that the Governor, who ought to work for the welfare of Tamil Nadu, continued to work against the state and also against "us who strive for the people," he said the Governor's walkout was strange. "This act was tantamount to insulting the office he holds and an act of desecrating the Constitution of India itself, while holding a responsible position," he said.
For the last three years, the Governor has repeatedly cited the same reason and staged a walkout from the Assembly without reading the speech prepared and delivered by a government elected by the people, and this Assembly has to consider that as a challenge to democracy.
"This is a government elected by crores of people, and a government that meets the aspirations of crores of people," Stalin, who is also the president of the DMK, said.
As per the tradition of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, 'Tamil Thai Vazuthu' was sung before the Governor commenced his speech, and the National Anthem was sung at the conclusion of the speech, the chief minister explained.
"This is a government elected by crores of people, and a government that meets the aspirations of crores of people," Stalin, who is also the president of the DMK, said.
As per the tradition of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, 'Tamil Thai Vazuthu' was sung before the Governor commenced his speech, and the National Anthem was sung at the conclusion of the speech, the chief minister explained.
Though he was supposed to respond to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address to the House, he was constrained to explain to the Governor, Stalin said and described this as a crisis that former chief ministers did not face during their term in office.
“Then the Governors might have had differences, but they did not act in a way that would lead to a conflict. In that sense, I stand as one who has faced excessive trials. For me, trials are not new; I have risen overcoming trials. Those who criticise me may derive pleasure but they can’t harm me,” he said.
Though he was supposed to respond to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address to the House, he was constrained to explain to the Governor, Stalin said and described this as a crisis that former chief ministers did not face during their term in office.
“Then the Governors might have had differences, but they did not act in a way that would lead to a conflict. In that sense, I stand as one who has faced excessive trials. For me, trials are not new; I have risen overcoming trials. Those who criticise me may derive pleasure but they can’t harm me,” he said.
On the crime graph in the state, the chief minister said the crimes during the current DMK regime were fewer compared to the incidents that happened during the AIADMK rule.