Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Tuesday walked out of the State Legislative Assembly without delivering his customary address on the opening day of the first session of the year, triggering a fresh confrontation between Raj Bhavan and the elected House.
As the proceedings began, Speaker M Appavu urged the Governor to follow established constitutional conventions and read only the address approved by the state government. Amid objections from treasury bench members, the Speaker asserted the primacy of legislative procedure, stating that only elected members are entitled to express opinions on the floor of the House.
Responding from the well of the Assembly, Governor Ravi described the situation as “unfortunate” and said he was disappointed with the conduct of the proceedings. He alleged that the National Anthem was not accorded due respect and claimed that his microphone was repeatedly switched off while he attempted to speak.
Shortly thereafter, the Governor left the Assembly without completing or formally delivering the address, marking yet another instance of discord between the constitutional head of the state and the legislature.
Following the walkout, Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan) issued a statement explaining the Governor’s actions. The release alleged that he was not allowed to speak and that his microphone was deliberately muted. It further claimed that the prepared address contained “numerous unsubstantiated claims and misleading statements” and did not reflect several concerns raised by the Governor.
The incident adds to the ongoing tensions between the Tamil Nadu government and the Governor over procedural and constitutional matters.
