Tamil Nadu Guv RN Ravi asks college students to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram', sparks row

Congress MLA JMH Hassan Maulaana said the Governor's remarks were highly condemnable, stating that the latter was speaking the language of the RSS and the BJP

Updated on: Apr 13, 2025, 20:20:03 IST

By HT News Desk

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Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi stirred a controversy after he urged students to chant "Jai Shri Ram” during an event at a private engineering college in Madurai on Saturday.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi asked college students to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' during an event. (ANI)

Ravi, who was the chief guest at the college function, ended his speech to students with an unexpected call for the chant. The incident triggered a row, with Congress MLA JMH Hassan Maulaana saying the Governor's remarks were highly condemnable as he spoke the language of the RSS and the BJP.

He added that such remarks did not behove the constitutional post occupied by R N Ravi.

"The Governor occupies one of the highest posts in the country, but he is speaking like a religious leader. He has become a propaganda master of the RSS and the BJP. See, this is not the way the Governor can act," the Velachery MLA told ANI.

"What the TN Governor is doing is highly condemnable; he is acting like an RSS face in Tamil Nadu and spreading its ideology. The position he holds is a constitutional post, so he has to remain neutral," he added.

Also Read | Tamil Nadu BJP set to get next chief; what now for Annamalai? Amit Shah answers

However, this isn’t the first time Governor Ravi found himself in the center of a political storm.

Earlier, he had faced criticism from the Supreme Court for withholding assent on 10 bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Also Read | 10 Tamil Nadu bills become laws without governor's assent after Supreme Court's landmark judgement

Meanwhile, the Governor, during his address at the college in Madurai on Saturday, strongly condemned the use of "vulgar and contemptuous" language by a senior leader of the ruling DMK government in the State, describing it as "unacceptable and shameful."

"We recently witnessed an individual holding a high position in the ruling government use deeply vulgar, mocking, and offensive language towards women. Such behaviour is not only unbecoming of a public figure but is utterly unacceptable and shameful," the Governor said.

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HT News Desk
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