On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi refused to deliver his speech and exited the Legislative Assembly without giving the traditional address on the first session's opening day of the year, leading to a significant clash between Raj Bhavan and the Assembly.
At the start of the session, Speaker M Appavu called on the Governor to follow the established rules and traditions by delivering only the customary address sanctioned by the state government. Amid protests from the treasury benches, the Speaker emphasized the importance of legislative protocol, declaring, 'Only MLAs are permitted to voice opinions in the House, no one else.'
Governor Ravi addressed the House, describing the interruption of his speech as 'unfortunate.' He voiced his dissatisfaction with how the proceedings were handled, stating, 'I am disappointed. The National Anthem was not accorded the respect it deserves.' Soon after, the Governor exited the Assembly without finishing or officially delivering his address.
He also claimed that his mic was constantly switched off.
Subsequently, Lok Bhavan released a statement detailing the reasons for the walkout. The statement accused that the Governor's microphone was frequently turned off and asserted that he was prevented from speaking. It also mentioned that the prepared speech included 'numerous unverified claims and misleading statements,' and noted that several concerns raised by the Governor were omitted from the text.
The Lok Bhavan alleged that the Tamil Nadu government "claim that the state attracted huge investments to the tune of over (Rs) 12 lakh crores is far from the truth."
A significant number of MOUs with potential investors have not materialized into actual investments, with the real investment amounting to only a small portion of the promised figures. Investment statistics indicate that Tamil Nadu is losing its appeal to investors. Four years ago, Tamil Nadu ranked as the fourth largest recipient of foreign direct investment among the states, but now it is struggling to maintain its position at sixth.
It claimed that the National Anthem has been disrespected once more, and a fundamental Constitutional duty has been ignored.
Moreover, there is a significant rise in crimes against Dalits and sexual violence targeting Dalit women. Nonetheless, these issues are completely overlooked," the statement noted.