Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has stirred controversy by asking students to chant "Jai Shri Ram" during an event at an engineering college in Madurai. The event took place on Saturday. A video of his remarks has since gone viral.
Governor Ravi made the statement while speaking about the ancient Tamil poet Kambar. Kambar is known for writing the Kamba Ramayanam, a version of the Ramayana in Tamil. "On this day, let us pay tribute to the one who was a great devotee of Shri Ram. I would say and you would say Jai Shri Ram," Ravi said. Students at the event were heard repeating the chant.
His comments have not gone down well with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The party accused the Governor of pushing a religious agenda. DMK spokesperson Dharanidharan called him a "spokesperson for the RSS." He said the Governor was violating the secular values of the Constitution.
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"This is against the spirit of the country. Why hasn’t he resigned yet? The Supreme Court has already shown him his place," Dharanidharan added.
Congress MLA Aassan Maulana also criticised the Governor. He said Ravi was acting like a religious leader. "He holds one of the highest posts in the country. Yet he is promoting one religion over others," he said. Maulana added that India is diverse in religion, language, and culture. "The Governor’s actions are encouraging inequality," he told reporters.
He further claimed that the Governor was acting like a propaganda agent of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party.
This controversy comes just days after a major Supreme Court ruling. The court had pulled up Governor Ravi for withholding ten bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The court called his inaction unconstitutional. It stated that governors cannot delay bills indefinitely.
The court’s judgement was seen as a major win for the DMK. The ruling further strained ties between the state government and the Governor.
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