Tamil Nadu governor skips prepared text, walks out of assembly in a huff; House passes resolution against him

CHENNAI: The governor-government tussle intensified in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Monday with chief minister M K Stalin registering objection over governor R N Ravi digressing from the prepared speech. Ravi left the assembly in a huff even as the chief minister was addressing it and before the national anthem was played.
The assembly passed a resolution proposed by the chief minister that the assembly would record only the text of the governor's address prepared by the government, as per the convention, and not what he had spoken. Barring the AIADMK and the BJP, the DMK, its allies the Congress, VCK, MDMK, the Left parties, MMK and TVK endorsed the resolution. The PMK members were present when the resolution was passed.
The governor addressed the assembly for nearly 50 minutes and the Tamil version of his speech was read out by the speaker subsequently. The chief minister said the government had already sent the draft address to the governor and it was approved by him and subsequently printed and distributed to all members on their tabs, and hard copies to those members who required it.
Stalin alleged that the actions of the governor, “who was against the Dravidian model principles of the government” was unacceptable.
“We followed the assembly rules and did not register any of our objections before the governor commenced his speech since we are in government,” the CM said, adding that the ruling party extended full respect to the governor, who had come to address the assembly as per the Constitutional norms.
The chief minister said the governor had not only acted against the principles of the DMK but against the government. “He did not read fully and appropriately the text prepared by the government and approved by him, which was not only regrettable, but also a violation of legislative traditions,” Stalin said.
The assembly should relax Rule 17 and resolve that only the printed text and the Tamil version of it read by the assembly speaker should be recorded in the assembly, Stalin said, proposing the resolution.
Earlier, there was high drama when the governor began his customary address to the assembly. The members of the DMK allies walked out in protest, not before going to the well of the House and protesting against the governor for delaying assent to the bills and making controversial remarks on ‘sanatana dharma’ and Tamil Nadu and walked out. PMK members raised slogans seeking early assent to the online gambling bill and walked out.