Archive · 20 Jan 2026
Governors Disrupt Legislative Sessions
In Tamil Nadu, the Governor, R. N. Ravi, walked out of the Legislative Assembly without giving his usual speech.
He wanted the national anthem to be played after the Tamil anthem, but the Speaker said no.
This is the fourth year in a row that the Governor has not given the speech.
The Governor's office said his microphone was turned off and important issues were not mentioned in the speech.
The Chief Minister, M. K. Stalin, said the Governor's actions were disrespectful to the Assembly's traditions.
In Kerala, the Governor, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, did not read out the entire policy address approved by the state Cabinet.
The Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, said the Governor omitted sections criticizing the central government and added his own words.
The Speaker said omitting or adding to the Cabinet-approved address is not officially recognized.
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu said his party would try to change the Constitution to remove the Governor's address.
Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi walked out of the Legislative Assembly without delivering the customary address due to a dispute over the national anthem and alleged inaccuracies in the prepared speech.
Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar omitted sections criticizing the central government and added his own words to the state Cabinet-approved policy address, leading to a dispute with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin criticized the Governor's actions, stating they disrespected the Assembly's traditions and the Tamil people, and announced plans to seek a constitutional amendment to remove the Governor's address.
The Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer stated that omitting or adding to the Cabinet-approved address is not officially recognized and will not be included in the official record.
Both incidents highlight ongoing tensions between Governors and state governments in India, particularly in states ruled by opposition parties.
- Who
- Governors R. N. Ravi (Tamil Nadu) and Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar (Kerala), Chief Ministers M. K. Stalin (Tamil Nadu) and Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), Assembly Speakers M. Appavu (Tamil Nadu) and A N Shamseer (Kerala)
- What
- Governors in Tamil Nadu and Kerala disrupted legislative sessions due to disputes over the content and protocol of their addresses.
- When
- Tuesday, January 2025 (Tamil Nadu), Tuesday, January 20 (Kerala)
- Where
- Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, Chennai; Kerala Assembly, Thiruvananthapuram
- Why
- Governor R. N. Ravi walked out due to a dispute over the national anthem and allegations of inaccuracies in the prepared speech. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar omitted and added sections to the policy address, leading to a dispute with the Kerala Chief Minister.
- Governor's Name (Tamil Nadu)
- R. N. Ravi
- Assembly Speaker's Name (Tamil Nadu)
- M. Appavu
- Chief Minister's Name (Tamil Nadu)
- M. K. Stalin
- Governor's Name (Kerala)
- Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
- Chief Minister's Name (Kerala)
- Pinarayi Vijayan
- Assembly Speaker's Name (Kerala)
- A N Shamseer
- Assembly Convening Date (Tamil Nadu)
- Tuesday, January 2025
- Assembly Session Duration (Tamil Nadu)
- Until Friday, January 23, 2025
- Governor's Expected Arrival Time (Tamil Nadu)
- 9:25 a.m.
- Governor's Address Start Time (Tamil Nadu)
- 9:30 a.m.
- Governor's First Full Address (Tamil Nadu)
- 2022
- Governor's Appointment Date (Tamil Nadu)
- September 2021
- Policy Address Paragraphs (Kerala)
- 157
- Policy Address Pages (Kerala)
- 72
Sources
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