Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Tuesday walked out of the state Assembly without delivering the customary address on the opening day of the first session of the year.
He alleged that the Assembly had disrespected the national anthem and that his mic was switched off during the proceedings.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Ravi has walked out of the Assembly.
On Tuesday, the governor left the Assembly a few minutes after Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, which is the state anthem, was played in the House, The Hindu reported.
“I am disappointed,” The Times of India quoted the governor as saying. “The national anthem was not given due respect.”
After the governor left, the House adopted a resolution moved by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president and Chief Minister MK Stalin to take on record only the approved text of Ravi’s address prepared by the state government, The Hindu reported.
Speaker M Appavu also urged the governor to follow established rules and customs of the Assembly.
In a statement issued later in the day, the Lok Bhavan listed several reasons for the governor’s refusal to read the speech in the Assembly, including that his mic was repeatedly switched off and that he was not allowed to speak.
The Lok Bhavan further alleged that the speech contained several “unsubstantiated claims and misleading statements”, adding that crucial problems troubling the residents of...
