Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, walked out of the State Legislative Assembly without delivering the customary Governor’s address on the opening day of the first session of the year.
Governor Ravi arrived at the Assembly to address the House in the presence of leaders from multiple political parties. The session began with the rendition of Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu. The Governor insisted that the National Anthem be played thereafter. When Speaker M Appavu declined the request, the Governor refused to read the address prepared by the State government and exited the House.
This is not the first such instance. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Governor RN Ravi has exited the House during the inaugural session since 2022.
Following the walkout, Lok Bhavan, Tamil Nadu issued a press release detailing the reasons behind the Governor’s decision to decline reading the government’s speech.
According to the release, “The Governor’s mic was repeatedly switched off, and he was not allowed to speak.” It further stated that the address contained “numerous unsubstantiated claims and misleading statements” and ignored several serious issues affecting the people of the State.
Lok Bhavan said the speech’s claim that Tamil Nadu attracted investments worth over ₹12 lakh crore was “far from the truth,” noting that many memoranda of understanding remained only on paper and that actual investments were only a fraction of the claimed figure. It added that Tamil Nadu, once the fourth-largest recipient of foreign direct investment among Indian states, was now struggling to remain sixth.
The statement also highlighted that women’s safety issues were ignored despite an alleged increase of over 55% in POCSO rape cases and over 33% rise in incidents of sexual molestation of women. It flagged what it described as rampant narcotics and drug abuse among youth, including school students, stating that over 2,000 people, mostly young individuals, had died by suicide in one year due to drug abuse.
Lok Bhavan further stated that atrocities against Dalits and sexual violence against Dalit women were sharply increasing but were “totally bypassed” in the speech. They stated that around 20,000 people in Tamil Nadu died by suicide in a year, averaging nearly 65 deaths a day, alleging that the State was being referred to as the “suicide capital of India,” with no mention of the issue in the address.
The Governor’s office alleged a steady decline in educational standards, pointing to more than 50% faculty vacancies and unrest among guest lecturers, and said the issue had been ignored. It also flagged the absence of elections to thousands of village panchayats, stating that they were being run by special officers for years, denying people grassroots democratic rights, contrary to constitutional principles.
The release further criticised the continued absence of boards of trustees in thousands of temples, alleged mismanagement by the State government, and non-implementation of Madras High Court directions on temple restoration. It also pointed to stress in the MSME sector, that entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu were being forced to relocate to other states, and alleged widespread discontent among lower-rung employees across sectors.
Reiterating the immediate trigger for the walkout, the statement said, “National Anthem is yet again insulted, and the Fundamental Constitutional Duty is disregarded.”
The Speaker later proceeded with Assembly business following the Governor’s exit.
Reasons why Governor declined reading the Govt speech in the Assembly:
1- Governor’s Mike was repeatedly switched off and he was not allowed to speak;
2- The speech contains numerous unsubstantiated claims and misleading statements. Several crucial issues troubling the people… pic.twitter.com/EebC7wDJHg
— LOK BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@lokbhavan_tn) January 20, 2026
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