Chennai: RN Ravi’s eventful four-and-a-half-year tenure because the Governor of Tamil Nadu got here to an finish on Thursday, with ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders harshly criticizing his transfer forward of the Tamil Nadu Meeting polls and terming him the DMK’s “star campaigner”.
Ravi’s tenure was marked by repeated clashes with the DMK authorities over payments, speeches, appointments and Supreme Courtroom reprimands.
Criticizing Ravi’s transfer from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal following the sudden resignation of Governor CV Ananda Bose, DMK MP P Wilson stated in X that the DMK was shedding a “star campaigner” within the upcoming elections as RN Ravi had been a “fixed reminder of the BJP’s intentions” in Tamil Nadu.
I am unhappy for 2 causes. First, the DMK is shedding its star campaigner within the upcoming elections. Thiru RN Ravi has all the time reminded us of the BJP’s intentions for Tamil Nadu.
Secondly, I really feel unhappy for the folks of West Bengal and our mates. @AITCofficial !
All the way in which… https://t.co/SvEGCv2NMr
— P. Wilson – We can’t surrender on Tamil Nadu (@PWilsonDMK) March 5, 2026
He additionally stated he was saddened by the folks of West Bengal and his mates who had been a part of the All India Trinamool Congress. “Wherever he goes, the sacrifice would be the Structure, the federal construction, and parliamentary democracy,” Wilson stated.
Congressman Jyothimani echoed related sentiments, sarcastically saying in X that Ravi is a “star campaigner” of the Indian bloc in Tamil Nadu.
“It is rather unlucky that Honorable Governor RN Ravi was transferred through the election interval. He was the star campaigner of the Union of India in Tamil Nadu! He has repeatedly insulted the achievements of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil folks,” she wrote within the submit.
“He’s the one who tried to place saffron on Tiruvalluvar. He’ll go down in historical past as the one that used the Raj Bhawan because the unofficial Tamil Nadu headquarters of the BJP. The BJP realized belatedly that the folks of Tamil Nadu would by no means serve the BJP,” she added.
It is rather unlucky that the honorable governor, Mr. RN, transferred Mr. Ravi through the election interval. He’s the star speaker of the Indian Union in Tamil Nadu. He was always insulting the achievements of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil folks. Saffron of Thiruvalluvar… pic.twitter.com/XSLJsstC5f
— Jothimani (@jothims) March 6, 2026
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated Ravi’s appointment as governor was accomplished with out session.
Mr. Jyotimani responded, “RN Ravi is the best asset for the opposition. I need him to be utilized.”
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tense relationship
Ravi’s relationship with the state authorities has been strained ever since he took workplace because the Governor of Tamil Nadu on September 18, 2021.
Most not too long ago, he walked out of Parliament final month after the nationwide anthem was not performed and emphasis was positioned on the nationwide anthem, Tamil Taai Vaajtu.
Final 12 months, he additionally walked out of the state parliament with out delivering the customary speech on the first parliament of the 12 months, citing allegations of insulting India’s nationwide anthem and structure.
“Respect for the nationwide anthem is among the first basic duties enshrined within the Structure. Respect for the nationwide anthem is sung at first and finish of the governor’s tackle in each state meeting. Immediately, when the governor arrived within the Home, solely Tamil Tai Vaajtu was sung,” the Raj Bhawan stated in a press release final 12 months.
The Structure of Bharat and the nationwide anthem had been as soon as once more insulted within the Tamil Nadu Meeting as we speak. Respect for the nationwide anthem is among the first basic duties enshrined within the Structure. This music is sung at first and finish of each state legislature…
— Lok Bhavan, Tamil Nadu (@lokbhavan_tn) January 6, 2025
The tussle with the DMK authorities started in February 2022, when he returned an meeting invoice looking for exemption from the Nationwide Entrance Eligibility Check (NEET) after it was suspended for 142 days. This invoice was handed by Congress in September 2021.
As a substitute of giving his assent or making a reservation to the president, he referred the invoice again to Congress for reconsideration, stating that the unapproved invoice would turn out to be “useless” if not promptly applied.
He criticized the invoice as going in opposition to the pursuits of scholars, particularly rural and economically poor college students. He dismissed the AK Rajan Committee report on which the invoice was based mostly as “completely unconvincing” and based mostly on false assumptions that NEET undermines advantage and social justice.
The federal government of Tamil Nadu opposed this, contemplating it an overreach by the governor. This led to the primary main controversy between the Raj Bhawan and the DMK authorities, which led to the unanimous re-adoption of the invoice by Parliament.
Tensions between the federal government and the governor elevated after Ravi withheld his assent to payments handed by the state Legislative Meeting, primarily associated to school governance reforms.
These payments sought to switch the facility to nominate vice-chancellors of state universities from the governor to the state authorities, embrace authorities candidates in choice committees, enable authorities inspections instead of rectors’ inspections, add a finance secretary to the college syndicate, and set up authorities Ayurvedic universities.
Mr Ravi’s extended inaction has created administrative issues in a number of universities and the DMK has claimed that this can be a case of deliberate omission, omission and delay.
The difficulty of delay in giving approval to the invoice was raised by DMK MPs in each the Homes of Parliament. The Tamil Nadu authorities filed a go well with within the Supreme Courtroom, alleging “deliberate omissions, omissions, delays and failures on the a part of the Governor”.
In 2025, the Supreme Courtroom declared Ravi’s suspension of 10 payments unlawful, invoking Article 142 and deeming the payments as consent, and criticized the indefinite delay as an unconstitutional “pocket veto.”
The Supreme Courtroom stated the governor was obligated to assent to the invoice and couldn’t reserve it to the president, and set a timeline for the governor’s motion on the invoice.
Relations soured in January 2023 when Ravi stated it will be extra applicable for the state to be referred to as Tamilakam. This assertion drew condemnation from political events that had staged protests in opposition to the governor.
Earlier, the Governor had sacked DMK Energy Minister Senthil Balaji after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in June 2023 in a cash laundering case associated to the alleged money alternate rip-off.
Ravi additionally confronted backlash for refusing to reappoint DMK minister Okay. Ponmudi as greater training minister though the Supreme Courtroom stayed his conviction and three-year jail time period within the March 2024 illicit belongings case. Later, the Supreme Courtroom additionally criticized Ravi for defying the order.
Ravi’s conventional speech at first of parliament has typically been a supply of controversy.
In January 2023, Ravi skipped a government-produced doc containing references to the Dravidian governance mannequin and secularism. He left after Prime Minister M.Okay. Stalin handed a decision to file solely the unique speech. In February 2024, Ravi refused to learn the total tackle.
Even on events like Ambedkar Jayanti and Independence Day, Ravi criticized the DMK-led authorities, elevating points corresponding to rising crimes in opposition to scheduled castes, growing atrocities in opposition to Dalit ladies, low conviction charges, persistent caste discrimination, poor instructional outcomes, assaults and murders.
(Edited by Katyal Sugita)
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