A war of words broke out again between the Tamil Nadu government and the governor on Friday after Chief Minister MK Stalin said a line with the word ‘Dravida’ was skipped when the Tamil anthem was sung at an event attended by Governor RN Ravi.
Urging the Centre to recall the governor, Stalin accused him of insulting national unity and Governor Ravi also hit back, claiming that the chief minister had made a racist remark against him.
The Governor’s office also denied the DMK chief’s allegation, saying that RN Ravi was only attending the function, and the troupe reciting the state song, inadvertently skipped the line. The skipping of the line added fuel to fire over the Centre celebrating the culmination of the Hindi month along with the golden jubilee celebrations of Chennai Doordarshan – the event attended by Governor Ravi.
Earlier Stalin had objected to this and said celebrating Hindi in a non-Hindi-speaking state is seen as an attempt to belittle other languages.
The line “Thekkanamum Adhirsirandha Dravida Nal Thirunaadum” is reference to the greatness of Dravidian land, was omitted when the Tamil Thaai Vazhthu, the state song, was sung at the event.
Apart from MK Stalin, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami also strongly condemned the omission and said it was a blunder and other parties including Congress condemned the Governor.
Ravi termed Stalin’s reaction as regrettable and accused the CM of making a racist remark against him and for having levelled, “false allegation of showing disrespect to Tamizh Thaai Valthu.”
Ravi said the allegation against him was “unfortunately cheap and lowers the dignity of the high constitutional office of the chief minister.”
In the meantime, Doordarshan Kendra Chennai apologised for ‘inadvertent mistake,’ and said singers had no intention to disrespect Tamil or Tamizh Thaai Valthu, the state song.
