CHENNAI, Feb 12: Governor RN Ravi’s advice to the Tamil Nadu government to show due respect to the national anthem and play it at the beginning and end of the Governor’s customary address to the Assembly was ignored by the DMK regime, the Raj Bhavan alleged on Monday.
Speaker M Appavu launched a tirade in the Assembly against the Governor and called him a ‘follower of Nathuram Godse’ and hence, the Governor, with due regard to the dignity of his office, left the House. The Speaker’s conduct was unbecoming of his office, lowered the dignity of his chair and grace of the House, it said.
Alleging misleading claims and facts in the address, the Governor’s office said had Ravi read out the address it would have amounted to ‘Constitutional travesty.’
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Explaining the sequence of events that unfolded in the House, an official Raj Bhavan release said the draft Governor’s address was received on February 9 and that it had ‘numerous passages’ with ‘misleading claims far from truth.’ Ravi, therefore, returned the file and also advised the government to show due respect to the national anthem by playing it at the beginning and end of the Governor’s address.
In this regard, the Governor had written letters to the chief minister and the Speaker in the past as well. The state government, however, ‘chose to ignore’ the advice of the Governor.
“The Governor’s address should reflect government’s achievements, policies and programmes and to inform the House of the causes of its summons and should not be a forum for peddling misleading statements and venting blatantly partisan political views.”
Though the Speaker read the government prepared Governor’s address with which Ravi had disagreement, he ‘sat through it, till the conclusion of the address.’ Appavu read the Tamil version of the address. When the Speaker concluded the address, the Governor stood up for the national anthem, as scheduled.
“However, the Speaker, instead of following the schedule, launched a tirade against the Governor and called him a follower of Nathuram Godse and more. The Speaker with his unbecoming conduct lowered the dignity of his chair and grace of the House. While the Speaker went on his tirade against the Governor, the Governor with due regard to the dignity of his office and the House, left the House.”
On the reason for Governor not reading out the customary address, the Raj Bhavan said Ravi, with due regard to the ‘Constitutional proprieties’ expressed his ‘inability’ to read the address as it contained numerous passages with misleading claims and facts and ‘reading them would have amounted to Governor’s address becoming a Constitutional travesty.’
Hence, he expressed his respect to the house, wished the session to be productive for the good of people of Tamil Nadu and concluded.
The Governor greeted the Speaker, chief minister MK Stalin, MLAs and the people of Tamil Nadu, and read out the first paragraph which contained a ‘Kural’ (couplet from Tamil classic Tirukkural) of the renowned saint Thiruvalluvar, Raj Bhavan added. (PTI)
