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DMK and allies boycott Governor’s R-Day event
Earlier in the day, chief minister MK Stalin and Ravi were seen together hoisting the national flag in Chennai.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu on Sunday boycotted Governor RN Ravi’s reception hosted for Republic Day, a day after the latter admonished the state in his R-day eve address. The ruling DMK’s allies, including Congress and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), also skipped the event hosted annually at the Raj Bhavan.
“The decision to boycott the event was taken even before the Governor’s address last week. It was based on his actions such as walking out of the assembly without reading his customary address,” said a DMK leader on condition of anonymity. The event was attended by the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit, and main opposition AIADMK was represented by its organising secretary D Jayakumar. Though the Raj Bhavan had invited actor Vijay, who launched his political party Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) last year, he also skipped the event.
However, earlier in the day, chief minister MK Stalin and Ravi were seen together hoisting the national flag in Chennai. The bitterness was not palpable when the chief minister presented a bouquet to the Governor, and they exchanged pleasantries. Ravi unfurled the national flag and after the 76th Republic Day event, Stalin saw the Governor off too.
The Governor and the government have been sparring over a range of issues, from ideology to pending legislations, since 2021 with their animosity only escalating.
The Governor thanked those who showed up at the Raj Bhavan. “Several thousand brothers, sisters and elders from among farmers, fishermen, Dalits, weavers, tribals, artisans, entrepreneurs, industrialists, women self-help groups, differently abled people, transgenders, spiritual leaders and social workers along with students and teachers enthusiastically joined the national celebration,” he said.
Later in the day, while the reception was being held at Raj Bhavan, Stalin reached Madurai district to meet the local people and celebrate the Union government’s decision of cancelling the tungsten auction after weeks of protest. The Tamil Nadu legislative assembly passed a resolution earlier in January urging the Union government to cancel the tungsten mining rights given to Vedanta-owned Hindustan Zinc Limited in Madurai district.
Several villages in Melur taluk of Madurai district have been protesting after the Union ministry of mines on November 7 last year awarded the tungsten mining rights in about 5,000 acres in 10 villages, which are located close to Arittapatti, Tamil Nadu’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site.
Stalin had said that he would never allow the project. On January 23, Union coal and mines minister G Kishan Reddy announced that they are cancelling the project, attributing it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to protecting traditional rights and biodiversity.
“I thanked everyone who symbolised that people’s power and democratic voices will prevail by fighting against tungsten mining,” Stalin said in Madurai.
On January 25, the Governor in his speech had said that crimes against Dalits are increasing and higher education among other factors are failing in Tamil Nadu. In response, minister for Adi Dravidar and tribal welfare M Mathiventhan accused the Governor of politicising his constitutional position, acting as a de facto leader of opposition and relying on WhatsApp forwards as sources of information.
