Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi is in the spotlight after the Supreme Court strongly criticized him for delaying key state bills. The controversy intensified with his public use of the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan, drawing sharp political backlash.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi is once again in the spotlight, this time for allegedly asking students at a public event to chant the slogan “Jai Shri Ram”, during a college function in Madurai.
This incident sparked criticism from political leaders, educationists, and civil society groups across the state. The controversy comes shortly after the Supreme Court strongly criticised the Governor for withholding assent to 10 state bills for over three years.
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The non-profit SPCSS-TN (State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu) issued a statement saying,
“Mr. RN Ravi violated his oath of office. He failed to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions. Mr. RN Ravi should be removed from the Office of Governor of Tamil Nadu forthwith for deliberately violating Article 159 of the Constitution of India.”
Senior Congress leader Sasikanth Senthil mocked the Governor in a post on X, stating,
“After being slammed by the Supreme Court and blocked by the State Government, he’s now resorting to stunts like making students chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ just to irritate the system.”
He further added,
“Clearly frustrated, he’s sending a message that ‘Even if the courts rule against me, I will find other ways to push my agenda.’ It’s a dangerous mix of arrogance and defiance that undermines democratic institutions and the principles of the Constitution!”
The incident further strained his relationship with the state’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which accused him of going against the secular values of the country.
Party spokesperson Dharanidharan also strongly criticised Governor RN Ravi for his recent actions, questioning his commitment to the Constitution.
Dharanidharan said,
“This goes against the secular values of the country,”
“Why does the Governor time and again want to violate the Constitution? Why has he not resigned yet? He is an RSS spokesperson. We know how he violated the federal tenets of the Country and how Supreme Court has shown him his place.”
At the event, Governor Ravi made the request as a tribute to the famous Tamil poet Kambar, who wrote the Kamba Ramayanam.
He said,
“This gives us the confidence that our roots are strong. It is there and we need to build on it. We take this as a movement.”
A video of the moment quickly spread online, drawing criticism from several political and academic groups.
Congress MLA JMH Aassan Maulana also criticised Governor RN Ravi, accusing him of working as a “propaganda master for the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party”.
Maulana said,
“He is in one of the highest posts in this country, and he is speaking like a religious leader, which is bringing trouble to this nation,”
“India has diverse religions, diverse languages and diverse communities, and the Governor keeps telling children to chant Jai Shri Ram. It is promoting inequality.”
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court called Governor RN Ravi’s decision to withhold assent to 10 important Bills “illegal” and “arbitrary,” stating that he had not acted in “good faith.”
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court invalidated the Governor’s decisions and declared that the bills would be “deemed to be cleared” from the date they were presented to him for the second time.
Governor RN Ravi has been at the centre of several controversies regarding his role in Tamil Nadu’s governance. In one such incident earlier in January, he exited the Tamil Nadu Assembly without giving his traditional address, stating that the National Anthem was not played as required.