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Tamil Nadu CM hits out at governor amid petrol bomb row
Governor Ravi and the ruling DMK have been at loggerheads over various administrative issues and ideological differences
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Monday said that it is shameful that the state’s Raj Bhavan has been converted into a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office and governor R N Ravi has become a BJP partyman. Stalin also broke his silence on last week’s petrol bomb attack stating that it was hurled on the streets outside and not at the Raj Bhavan, and accused the governor’s office of scheming to spread lies.
“The governor has changed into a BJP man today,” said Stalin speaking to reporters in Ramanathapuram district after paying tributes to freedom fighter and caste leader Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar. “And the governor’s office has changed into the BJP’s party office. That is shameful.”
Governor Ravi and the ruling DMK have been at loggerheads over various administrative issues and ideological differences. The recent conflict has been over a petrol bomb attack at the Raj Bhavan on October 25. A habitual offender, ‘Karukka’ Vinod who had previously hurled petrol bombs in front of the BJP office and a police station had last Wednesday hurled it in front of the main gate of the Raj Bhavan and has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody. But the governor’s office accused the state police of diluting the incident and the investigation.
“The petrol bomb was not hurled at the governor’s mansion but outside it on the street,” Stalin said on Monday. He added about the top brass of Tamil Nadu’s police comprising the Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal, Greater Chennai Police Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore and the additional general of police (law and order) holding a press conference on October 27 releasing the CCTV footage to counter the allegations made by the Raj Bhavan and to show the swift action taken by the security personnel.
“This is nothing but the governor’s office propagating lies,” Stalin said. The chief minister also responded to the Governor’s consistent criticism against Dravidian politics. “Aryanism is about specific sectors availing specific benefits whilst Dravidiansim advocates everything for everyone. The Governor should learn about this difference,” Stalin said.
Last Friday, in a sardonic tone Stalin urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah not to recall Tamil Nadu’s governor R N Ravi at least until the upcoming Lok Sabha polls since his criticism against Dravidianism was adding strength to the DMK’s campaign.
The Raj Bhavan did not wish to react to the chief minister’s remarks.
