DMK’s explainer to Governor, not a threat

CHENNAI: Exacerbating its acrimony towards Governor R N Ravi, the ruling DMK made a scathing attack through an editorial in the ‘Murasoli’ on Saturday, saying that the sparks of anger raised by the Governor’s repeated controversial utterances may look like random stirrings among the people but there was no guarantee that they would not turn into a raging inferno.

Describing the forecast on the possibility of the inferno as just an explainer of the ground reality in the State and not a threat, the editorial, carried with the popular byline ‘Silanthi’ (Spider), accused the Governor of slipping in his gubernatorial responsibilities and needlessly poking his nose into the affairs of the State.

For the DMK and ‘Murasoli,’ who had been making scathing attacks on the style of functioning of Ravi ever since he took over as Governor, the latest provocation is the remark that he reportedly made to a group of visiting Indian envoys to other nations.

The group from India’s diplomatic corps had made a courtesy visit to the Raj Bhavan after having a detailed discussion with Chief Minister M K Stalin at the Secretariat when the Governor expressed his animosity explicitly toward the DMK in response to an appreciation for the State for its development.

Quoting social media posts that said that the Indian diplomats were aghast over Ravi’s remarks against the Dravidian Model government when they in fact expressed happiness over the State making rapid progress.

The editorial said that many Aryan acolytes were jittery over the term Dravidian Model and that Governors were not paid a salary, provided a palatial bungalow, security, lackeys and other staff not for them to sit and criticize the ruling party.

By recalling incidents relating to the past Governors in the State, including the black flag demonstration against Banwarilal Purohit when he tried to interfere in the State’s rights, the editorial sent across the clear message that the ruling party was peeved by Ravi’s conduct.

The visitors’ acknowledging the success of the Dravidian Model had left a bad taste in the mouth of the Governor, who had already been crossing the limits and playing with the sentiments of the people, it said and told him that Tamil Nadu was different from the States where he had been Governor earlier.

The people of the State enjoyed clarity in political thought and Ravi could very much check that out by taking a ride in an auto rickshaw incognito. The auto driver would take an elaborate lesson in politics to the Governor, it said.

In an article accompanying the editorial, ‘Murasoli’ criticized Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan for saying that she would interfere in the affairs of Tamil Nadu and said that she was making such a statement out of her frustration over her inability to do anything in Telangana.

Since she had also complained that she was not allowed to hoist the national flag on Independence Day, forcing her to do it in Raj Bhavan premises, and not let to deliver the Governor’s address, her laments should actually be a warning to Ravi to ensure that such a situation did not arise for him in Tamil Nadu.Tamilisai Soundararajan's statement would be appreciated if it served that purpose, the editorial said.

Ravi is also slammed by other friendly parties of the DMK with several leaders openly attacking him for his remarks on Thirukkural, the Tamil treatise written by Thiruvalluvar. A zoom meeting was conducted on Friday evening by the Dravidar Kazhagam on the topic, ‘Ignorance of Governor with regard to Thiruvalluvar.’

A prominent MLA of the DMK, N Ezhilan, even went to the extent of saying that the Governor was giving wrong data and openly speaking lies to run down the State on its development, in an interview given to a Tamil YouTube channel.

Many others are also trolling the Governor for his statements on Thirukkural questioning his knowledge on the ancient Tamil work and also questioning his motives.