Ruling DMK makes ‘star campaigner’ jibe as Governor RN Ravi’s stormy Tamil Nadu tenure ends

Ruling DMK makes ‘star campaigner’ jibe as Governor RN Ravi’s stormy Tamil Nadu tenure ends

Last Updated: March 6, 2026By

Chennai: R.N. Ravi’s tumultuous four-and-a-half-year tenure as Tamil Nadu governor ended on Thursday, with ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders taking digs at his transfer and calling him a “star campaigner” for the DMK forward of Tamil Nadu meeting polls.

Ravi’s tenure was marked by repeated clashes with the DMK authorities over payments, speeches, appointments and Supreme Court docket rebukes.

Taking a dig at Ravi’s shift from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal following the sudden resignation of Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, DMK MP P. Wilson mentioned on X that the DMK was shedding a “star campaigner” within the upcoming elections as R.N. Ravi was a “fixed reminder of the BJP’s intentions” with Tamil Nadu.

He additionally mentioned that he was unhappy for the individuals of West Bengal and his associates on the All India Trinamool Congress. “Wherever he goes, the casualty is the Structure, federal construction and parliamentary democracy,” Wilson mentioned.

Congress MP Jothimani echoed comparable sentiments, sarcastically saying on X that Ravi has been a “star campaigner” for the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu.

“It’s deeply regrettable that the Honorable Governor Mr. R. N. Ravi has been transferred throughout the election interval. He has been a star campaigner for the INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu! He has constantly insulted Tamil Nadu and the achievements of the Tamil individuals,” she wrote in her submit.

“He’s the one who tried to drape Thiruvalluvar in saffron. He’ll go down in historical past because the one who used the Raj Bhavan because the BJP’s unofficial Tamil Nadu headquarters. The BJP has belatedly realised that the individuals of Tamil Nadu won’t ever serve the BJP,” she added.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mentioned Ravi’s appointment because the state’s governor was made with out consulting her.

Jothimani responded, saying, “R. N. Ravi is the best treasure that has come to the opposition events. Make use of him.”

Additionally learn: Hindi imposition row in TN: ‘Kartavya Dwar’ board to go after backlash, BJP & AIADMK tread cautiously

Tense relations

Relations between Ravi and the state authorities had been tense since he assumed workplace as Tamil Nadu governor on 18 September 2021.

Most just lately, he walked out of the Meeting final month as a result of the nationwide anthem was not performed and the state music, Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, was given significance.

Final 12 months, too, he walked out of the state meeting with out delivering his customary handle for the primary session of the 12 months over the alleged insult of the Indian nationwide anthem and the Structure.

“Respecting the Nationwide Anthem is among the many first Basic Obligation as enshrined in our Structure. It’s sung in all of the state legislatures at first and the tip of the governor’s handle. At this time on the arrival of the Governor to the Home, solely Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu was sung,” Raj Bhavan mentioned in a press release final 12 months.

The tussle with the DMK authorities started in February 2022 when he returned an Meeting invoice searching for exemption from the Nationwide Entrance cum Eligibility Take a look at (NEET) after holding it for 142 days. The invoice was handed by the Meeting in September 2021.

As a substitute of granting assent or reserving it for the President, he returned it to the Meeting for reconsideration, saying that unassented payments grow to be “useless” if not acted upon promptly.

He criticised the invoice as being towards the pursuits of scholars, notably rural and economically poor ones. He dismissed the A.Ok. Rajan Committee’s report, on which the invoice was based mostly, as “completely unconvincing” and based mostly on flawed assumptions that NEET harms advantage and social justice.

The Tamil Nadu authorities opposed this, viewing it as an overreach by the governor. This sparked the primary main row between Raj Bhavan and the DMK authorities, main the Meeting to re-adopt the invoice unanimously.

Tensions between the federal government and the governor escalated as Ravi held again assent to payments handed by the state Legislative Meeting, primarily associated to college governance reforms.

These payments sought to shift the facility to nominate vice-chancellors of state universities from the governor to the state authorities, embody authorities nominees in choice panels, enable authorities inspections as a substitute of these by the chancellor, add the finance secretary to college syndicates, and set up a authorities Ayurveda College.

Ravi’s extended inaction led to administrative challenges in a number of universities, and the DMK alleged it was a case of deliberate inaction, omission and delay.

The problem of delay in assenting to the payments was taken up in each homes of Parliament by DMK MPs. The Tamil Nadu authorities went to the Supreme Court docket, alleging “deliberate inaction, omission, delay, and failure by the Governor.

In 2025, the highest courtroom declared Ravi’s withholding of 10 payments unlawful and invoked Article 142 to deem them assented, and criticised indefinite delays as an unconstitutional “pocket veto”.

The Supreme Court docket said that the governor is certain to assent to the payments and can’t reserve them for the President, setting timelines for gubernatorial motion on payments.

Relations deteriorated in January 2023 when Ravi referred to the identify of the state as Tamilakam, saying it was extra acceptable. The comment was met with condemnation from political events, who staged protests towards the governor.

Earlier, the governor dismissed DMK Minister for Electrical energy Senthil Balaji after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in June 2023, in a cash laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs rip-off.

Ravi additionally confronted backlash for refusing the re-induction of DMK minister Ok. Ponmudy as increased schooling minister, regardless of the Supreme Court docket staying his conviction and three-year sentence in a disproportionate property case in March 2024. Later, the Supreme Court docket additionally criticised Ravi for defying its order.

Ravi’s customary handle to the Meeting at the beginning of periods has usually been a supply of controversy.

In January 2023, Ravi skipped a government-prepared textual content that included references to the Dravidian mannequin of governance and secularism. He walked out after Chief Minister M.Ok. Stalin moved a decision to report solely the unique speech. In February 2024, Ravi refused to learn the total handle.

Even on events like Ambedkar Jayanti and Independence Day, Ravi delivered critiques of the DMK-led authorities, elevating the problems of rising crimes towards Scheduled Castes, growing atrocities towards Dalit girls, low conviction charges, persistent caste discrimination, poor academic outcomes, and incidents of assault and homicide.

(Edited by Sugita Katyal)

Additionally learn: Breakthrough in DMK-Congress seat-sharing stalemate in Tamil Nadu, deal sealed at 28 seats & 1 RS berth




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