Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi sparks row, asks students to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ at Madurai event

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has come under fire for asking students to chant “Jai Shri Ram” during an event held at a private engineering college in Madurai on Saturday. Ravi, who was the chief guest at the function, concluded his speech by prompting students to repeat the religious slogan after him.

Velachery Congress MLA JMH Hassan Maulaana strongly criticised the Governor, calling the move a blatant display of ideological bias.

“The Governor is occupying one of the highest posts in the country but he is speaking like a religious leader,” Maulaana told ANI.

“He has become a propaganda master of the RSS and the BJP. See, this is not the way the Governor can act.”

Mint has not independently verified the authenticity or date of the video.

"What the TN Governor is doing is highly condemnable, he is acting like an RSS face in Tamil Nadu and spreading its ideology. The position he holds is a constitutional post, so he has to remain neutral," Hassan said.

The Congress leader also pointed out that Governor Ravi had previously been criticised by the Supreme Court, which delivered a landmark judgment against him for acting in an unconstitutional, illegal, and improper manner by delaying action on 10 bills passed by the Tamil Nadu legislature.

Governor condemns derogatory remarks against women

During his address at the college in Madurai on Saturday, the Governor strongly criticised a senior leader of the ruling DMK for using what he described as “vulgar and contemptuous” language, calling the remarks “unacceptable and shameful.”

"We recently witnessed an individual holding a high position in the ruling government use deeply vulgar, mocking, and offensive language towards women. Such behaviour is not only unbecoming of a public figure but is utterly unacceptable and shameful," the Governor said.

Expressing concern over the increasing acceptance of such behavior in public life, he remarked, "It is deeply disturbing that we have come to a point where someone in a position of authority can speak about women in such derogatory terms. This is not just unacceptable--it is a dangerous trend."

Referring specifically to the individual involved, Governor Ravi stated, “The gentleman--I use that term with great reluctance--has not only humiliated and insulted women but has also directed contemptuous remarks at devotees of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.”

The DMK had recently removed State Forest Minister K Ponmudy from his position as deputy general secretary due to his derogatory and "vulgar" comments about women and certain aspects of Hinduism.

Ponmudy had allegedly made a 'joke' about two different sects of Hinduism, Shaivism and Vaishnavism, which sparked criticism from several political leaders.

Governor Ravi's controversial decision on 10 Bills

This latest incident is not the first time Governor Ravi has been embroiled in contentious matters. It follows a critical Supreme Court ruling on April 8 regarding his decision to reserve 10 bills for the President's consideration.

The Supreme Court had strongly reprimanded Governor Ravi, ruling that his decision to withhold assent and reserve the bills violated constitutional provisions. The court clarified that a governor cannot withhold assent or apply the concepts of an absolute veto or a pocket veto. According to the bench, the Governor must choose from three options when dealing with bills: granting assent, withholding assent, or reserving them for the President. Furthermore, the court ruled that if a bill has been presented to the Governor a second time, it must be assented to unless it has been altered compared to its original version.

Following the ruling, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin hailed the Supreme Court’s judgment as ‘historic,’ calling it a victory for all state governments in the country.

The ongoing tensions between Governor Ravi and the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu have escalated over several issues.