TN Assembly session: Governor RN Ravi walks out of Assembly amid ‘National Anthem’ row

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi walked out of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Tuesday shortly after the House convened for its first session of the year, triggering fresh political controversy and reviving a protocol dispute that had surfaced during last year’s opening session as well.

The Assembly met at 9.30 a.m. in keeping with the long-established convention that the Governor addresses the House at the start of the year’s first session. With Assembly elections barely three months away, the proceedings assumed added political significance. However, the session took an abrupt turn when the Governor exited the House after a Tamil invocation was rendered at the commencement of proceedings, instead of the National Anthem.

This is the second consecutive year that Governor Ravi has walked out of the Assembly over the same issue.

In 2025, he had similarly left the House, contending that the National Anthem should be sung at the beginning of the session.

On Tuesday, after offering a brief Tamil greeting, the Governor departed without delivering the customary address.

Speaker M. Appavu later informed the House that the issue had already been settled. He recalled that the Governor had written to him last year regarding the National Anthem and that a formal reply had been sent.

Former Speaker Durai Murugan had also explained the Assembly’s traditions in detail, Appavu said, adding that the matter was considered resolved and that the House would continue to function in accordance with established legislative practices.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin subsequently moved a resolution to record the Governor’s address as having been delivered, despite his walkout.

The resolution was adopted unanimously, enabling the Assembly to proceed with its scheduled business.

During the session, Speaker Appavu highlighted the state government’s welfare initiatives and economic performance.

He said Tamil Nadu had witnessed unprecedented economic growth under the present administration and pointed to the Pongal festival assistance scheme as a key example. Under the programme, Rs 3,000 cash prize gift packages were distributed to 2.23 crore families across the state.

The Governor had arrived at the Assembly shortly before proceedings began and was formally welcomed by the Speaker. The Chief Minister was also present in the House ahead of the session. Despite expectations that the Governor would address the Assembly, the walkout once again underscored the continuing friction between Raj Bhavan and the government, setting the tone for a politically charged session in the run-up to the Assembly elections.

IANS