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Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi sues suspended DMK worker over derogatory remarks

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 19 Jan 2023, 04:52 am

Chennai/IBNS: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has filed a defamation case against now suspended DMK worker for his derogatory remarks over Ravi’s refusal to read some parts of a government-approved speech in the state assembly earlier this month, media reports said citing officials.

Using expletives for Governor Ravi, Shivaji Krishnamoorthy had said if he can't take Ambedkar's name, he should go to Kashmir, so he would be gunned down by extremists.

“If the Governor refuses to utter the name of Ambedkar in his Assembly speech, don’t I have the right to assault him? If you (governor) don’t read out the speech given by the Tamil Nadu government, then go to Kashmir, and we’ll send terrorists so that they’ll gun you down,” he said, according to an Indian Express report.

After controversy erupted, the ruling DMK suspended Krishnamurthy last week for "violating party discipline and bringing disrepute to the party."

As such, the DMK government and the governor have been at loggerheads with the MK Stalin-led regime accusing RN Ravi of acting at the behest of the BJP.

The hostility took a bitter turn after the governor went off script and skipped parts of the address which had references to secularism and mentioned leaders like Periyar, BR Ambedkar, K Kamaraj, CN Annadurai, and Karunanidhi.

Ravi also did not read the reference to the 'Dravidian model' that the DMK promotes and showcases, said media reports.

The chief minister then passed a resolution demanding that the original speech in Tamil be put in records. Governor Ravi reacted to this in an unprecedented manner and walked out of the House in protest even before the national anthem was played.

The Chief Minister said the Governor's action was "against Assembly traditions" and urged President Draupadi Murmu to intervene and ensure Governor Ravi abides by the Constitution.

DMK allies like the Congress have also demanded the governor's recall.