Chennai: In a dramatic turn of events, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi walked out of the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, refusing to deliver his customary address for the opening session of the year. The unprecedented move prompted Chief Minister M K Stalin to swiftly table a resolution, asking the House to officially take note of the Governor’s prepared speech, which sparked heated debates among lawmakers.
Raj Bhavan, soon after the incident, released a detailed three-page statement defending the Governor’s actions. According to the statement, the prepared address contained “misleading claims and unverified data,” particularly exaggerating Tamil Nadu’s investment inflows. The Governor reportedly questioned claims of over ₹12 lakh crore in investments, pointing out that many Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) remained unfulfilled, and actual investments fell far short. The statement also noted that Tamil Nadu’s ranking in foreign direct investment had slipped from fourth to sixth among Indian states over the past few years.
The Raj Bhavan statement further highlighted that the address completely ignored critical social issues, including rising crimes against women, sexual assaults, POCSO Act cases, drug-related suicides, and atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Tribes. It criticized the government for bypassing pressing concerns over education, citing vacant faculty positions in over 50% of institutions, widespread mismanagement, and an uncertain future for the youth.
Moreover, the statement condemned the neglect of grassroots democracy, pointing out that thousands of Village Panchayats remain defunct due to overdue elections, depriving crores of citizens of their constitutional rights.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that Governor Ravi has staged a walkout during the Assembly address. In previous years, he either refused to read the speech in full or left over disputes regarding protocol, including his repeated insistence on playing the National Anthem before the session began.
