The tussle between the ruling DMK and the Raj Bhavan hit a new low on Monday as Governor R N Ravi skipped portions of the government-prepared customary address in the Assembly and the Chief Minister piloted a resolution to exclude from the House records whatever he spoke outside the State drafted speech.
The Governor later walked out of the Assembly after M.K. Stalin moved the resolution.
Following Ravi's address, Stalin expressed regret on the Governor avoiding certain portions from the prepared address.
The Chief Minister moved a resolution and it was adopted and Ravi left the House immediately and such a thing has perhaps happened for the first time in the history of the Assembly.
'Dravidian model' were among the words skipped by the Governor and he also spoke on his own on certain aspects.
Ravi began his address, marking the commencement of the year's first session, amid slogan shouting against him by MLAs belonging to allies of the ruling DMK.
As soon as Ravi began his address in Tamil, greeting members on the New Year and the harvest festival 'Pongal,' legislators raised slogans including 'Tamil Nadu Vazhgave' (Long live Tamil Nadu) and 'Engal Nadu Tamil Nadu' (Our land is Tamil Nadu).
After a while the slogan shouting ceased. The Congress, CPI and CPI(M) are among the allies of the ruling party.
BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan alleged that the government did not get the Raj Bhavan's concurrence for the prepared speech to be read by the Governor and defended Ravi and hit out at the DMK regime.
Allies of the ruling DMK -- Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI, and CPI(M) -- earlier boycotted the Governor's address, after protesting, by raising slogans, his delay in clearing Bills, including those regarding a ban on online gambling, and clipping the Governor's powers to appoint Vice Chancellors to state universities. 21 Bills passed by the Assembly are pending with the Governor.
"Quit Tamil Nadu" slogans reverberated in the Assembly against Ravi. Ruling DMK MLAs also raised slogans saying "don't impose BJP, RSS ideology".
They also protested the Governor's recent remark that 'Thamizhagam' would be "a more appropriate name" for Tamil Nadu.
On Wednesday, Governor Ravi flagged what he called "regressive politics of Tamil Nadu.
"Unfortunately in Tamil Nadu there has been regressive politics that we are Dravidians, and by virtue of the Constitution, we have been brought together. The entire effort has been created in half a century to reinforce this narrative that we are not part of the nation, an integral part of the nation.
"And even a different kind of narrative has been created. Everything applicable for the whole of the country, Tamil Nadu will say no," the Governor had said on Wednesday while speaking at a function held at Raj Bhavan to felicitate organisers and volunteers of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, reports ndtv.com.
"It has become a habit. So many theses have been written--all false and poor fiction. This must be broken. Truth must prevail. In fact, Tamil Nadu is the land which holds the soul of Bharat. It is the identity of Bharat. In fact, Thamizhagam would be the more appropriate word to call it," the Governor said.