CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin does not “accept and respect Bharat as a nation and the constitution”, Raj Bhavan tweeted on Sunday after the CM termed “childish” the governor’s walkout from the assembly, protesting the playing of Tamil anthem instead of national anthem at the beginning of the session.
“M K Stalin asserts that insisting on due respect for national anthem and fulfilling fundamental duties enshrined in the constitution is ‘absurd’ and ‘childish’. Such arrogance is not good. Please do not forget that Bharat is the supreme mother and the Constitution the supreme faith for her children. They will not like or tolerate such brazen insults,” Raj Bhavan said in the tweet.
Governor RN Ravi walked out of the assembly on Jan 6 without reading the customary governor’s address after his request to start the session with national anthem was not heeded. Stalin criticised Ravi for his walkout, accusing him of making it a practice to violate democratic conventions in the assembly by not reading the government’s address.
On Sunday, Stalin alleged that Ravi had “insulted” Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu (Tamil anthem). Calling Ravi ‘arrogant’ for the tweet, DMK general secretary Duraimurugan said, “Tamil Nadu assembly followed the convention of playing Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu at the beginning of the session and national anthem at the end. Ravi wanted to change that, but we followed tradition.”
Ravi interacted with youth on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary at Raj Bhavan and participated in a Pongal festival organised by the fishing community in Tiruvallur on Sunday.