File Photo: Governor RN Ravi
| Photo Credit:
RAGU R
For the second year in a row, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi left the Assembly without giving his customary address in protest against the House not playing the National Anthem immediately after the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu. He entered the House at 9.29 am and left at 9.36 am.
In 2025 too, he walked out without reading his address on the same issue.
As the Governor was speaking, Speaker M Appavu requested the Governor to deliver his customary speech and not to change the House’s customs. He also said that the National Anthem is played only at the end of the proceedings.
However, the Governor objected to not playing the National Anthem, and left without reading his address, which was later read by the speaker.
A few minutes after the Governor left the House, the members of the AIADMK walked out stating they were not allowed to speak on the issue.
The Lok Bhavan release on reasons why the Governor declined reading the Governor’s address in the Assembly said, “National Anthem is yet again insulted and the Fundamental Constitutional Duty disregarded.”
“Governor’s mike was repeatedly switched off and he was not allowed to speak. The speech contains numerous unsubstantiated claims and misleading statements. Several crucial issues troubling the people are ignored,” the statement said.
The release also pointed out various other issues troubling the people are ignored.
The release said the claim that the State attracted huge investments to the tune of over ₹12 lakh crore is far from the truth. Many of the MoUs with prospective investors remain only on paper, actual investment is hardly a fraction of it. Investment data show that Tamil Nadu is becoming less attractive for investors. Until four years ago Tamil Nadu, among the states, was the fourth largest recipient of foreign direct investment. Today it is struggling to remain at the sixth.
MSME sectors are under huge stress due to visible and invisible costs of running the industry. They are the crucial sector for employment and growth. However, as against over 55 million registered MSMEs in the country Tamil Nadu has only about 4 million despite enormous potential for growth. Entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu are forced to locate their enterprises in other states. The issue is completely ignored, the release added.
There is widespread discontentment among lower rung employees in almost all sectors. They are restive and frustrated. No mention of ways to address their genuine grievances, the release said.
In 2024, the Governor expressed inability to read out the address, saying it contained passages with misleading claims and facts and reading them would have amounted to the Governor’s address “becoming a constitutional travesty”.
In 2023, the Governor omitted certain portions and added extempore remarks to the address and subsequently walked out.
In 2022, the Governor read the address.
Published on January 20, 2026
