‘National Anthem insulted again’: TN Governor walks out of Assembly without delivering key speech

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed dramatic scenes on Tuesday morning after Governor RN Ravi walked out in protest over the replacement of the National Anthem with a Tamil invocation. In a press statement issued minutes after the incident, the Lok Bhavan listed the reasons for the Governor’s decision to decline to read the government’s address in the House.

According to the statement, the Governor’s microphone was repeatedly switched off, and he was not allowed to speak. It also alleged that the National Anthem was insulted again and that a fundamental constitutional duty was disregarded.

The Assembly met at 9.30 am in keeping with the long-established convention that the Governor addresses the House at the start of the year’s first session. However, he departed without delivering the customary address soon after offering a Tamil greeting.

With Assembly elections barely three months away, the proceedings assumed added political significance. The session took an abrupt turn when the Governor exited the House.

In the statement, Lok Bhavan sharply criticised the DMK government for ignoring issues such as crimes against women, drug abuse, atrocities against Dalits, the rise in suicide cases, and the mismanagement of educational institutions. It noted that the speech prepared for the session had completely bypassed these concerns.

This is the second consecutive year that Governor Ravi has walked out of the Assembly over the same issue. In 2025, he had similarly left the House, contending that the National Anthem should be sung at the beginning of the session, reported IANS.

Following the Governor’s exit, Speaker M Appavu informed the House that the earlier issue related to National Anthem had already been settled. He recalled that the Governor had written to him last year regarding the matter and that a formal reply had been sent.

Former Speaker Durai Murugan had also explained the Assembly’s traditions in detail, Appavu said, adding that the matter was considered resolved and that the House would continue to function in accordance with established legislative practices.

Chief Minister MK Stalin subsequently moved a resolution to record the Governor’s address as having been delivered, despite his walkout. The resolution was adopted unanimously, enabling the Assembly to proceed with its scheduled business.

The Governor had arrived at the Assembly shortly before proceedings began and was formally welcomed by the Speaker. The Chief Minister was also present in the House ahead of the session. Despite expectations that the Governor would address the Assembly, the walkout once again underscored the continuing friction between Lok Bhavan and the government, setting the tone for a politically charged session in the run-up to the Assembly elections.