TN Governor’s Pongal Invite Intensifies His Tussle With DMK Govt

Chennai: Governor RN Ravi used the word Tamizhagam in his invites for Pongal festival in Governor’s House Raj Bhavan adding fire to the row over Tamizhagam versus Tamil Nadu in the state. The Governor is in the middle of a standoff with the DMK government and Chief Minister MK Stalin over the name of the southern state.

The invite in Tamil is not having the Tamil Nadu state government’s emblem. It only has the emblem of the government of India.

Irking the DMK, Governor Ravi has stoked a huge controversy over his remarks yesterday suggesting that Tamizhagam is an appropriate name for Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu means “Tamil land” or “Tamil country”. Tamizhagam means the “land of the Tamil people” and is the ancient name for the region, the governor opines. .

CPI(M) MP Su Venkatesan shared screenshots on Twitter comparing two invites from the Governor’s house and demanded his removal.

The DMK and its allies have accused the Governor of pushing the agenda of the BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by pitching the name “Tamizhagam”.

Yesterday, the Governor walked out of the Tamil Nadu assembly, skipping even the national anthem, in a huge confrontation with Chief Minister Stalin.