Tamil Nadu: Governor RN Ravi walks out of Assembly, clashes with DMK over national anthem controversy

January 20, 2026

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi walked out of the state Assembly on the opening day of the winter session on Tuesday, refusing to read the traditional speech prepared by the state government for the third consecutive year. He called it an “insult” to the national anthem, sparking a dispute with the ruling party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Chief Minister MK Stalin accused the Governor of insulting the people of Tamil Nadu and announced plans to introduce a constitutional amendment to end the traditional speech practice earlier this year. The Assembly passed a resolution to record the Governor’s speech as read in English.

Long-standing tension between the Governor and the DMK
The conflict between Ravi and the DMK government has continued since Ravi’s appointment in May 2021. In 2022, he read the speech. In 2023, he made changes to some parts of the speech and added his own suggestions. In 2024 and 2025, he walked out without reading the entire speech.

The DMK has accused the central government of interfering in non-BJP-ruled states and misusing the governors’ powers, especially at a time when Tamil Nadu is about to hold assembly elections.

Governor’s Office Explains Reasons for Walkout
Ravi’s office cited 12 reasons for not reading the speech. “The national anthem was once again disrespected…a complete constitutional duty was ignored,” the statement said. Ravi wanted the national anthem to be played at the beginning of the session, whereas the state anthem “Tamil Thai Vazhthu” is traditionally played at the beginning and the national anthem at the end.

The office alleged that Ravi’s microphone was repeatedly turned off and he was not allowed to speak. It also stated that the speech contained unsubstantiated and misleading claims and ignored important issues such as women’s safety, drug abuse, attacks on Dalits, and the declining quality of education.

The Governor’s office also objected to the investment claims, stating that the “state attracted over ₹12 lakh crore in investments” was beyond the truth. It also expressed concern over temple management, stating that thousands of temples lack trustee boards, leaving millions of devotees “deeply hurt and disappointed.”

Speech read in the Assembly, Central Government criticized
After Ravi’s walkout, Speaker M. Appavu read the speech in Tamil. It requested the central government to release pending funds for Tamil Nadu and noted the delay in financial allocations for important projects and disaster relief. The speech pointed out that even after Cyclones Michong and Phangal, the central government released only a small amount, while the state paid the entire amount of ₹3,548 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Yojana.

The speech urged the withdrawal of the VB-G-Ram-GM scheme and the continuation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. It also reiterated its opposition to the three-language formula and the imposition of Hindi.

Stalin criticized the practice of the traditional speech.

Stalin said that it was unfair to prepare and send a speech every year, while the governors failed to read it properly. He said, “Governors are becoming a hindrance to state governments; this is happening not only here but in many states. It is customary for the governor to read the government’s policy speech at the beginning of the year. When someone doesn’t follow this practice consistently, people naturally question the need for such a rule.”