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Instances When DMK Instigated Violence Against Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi

October 26, 2023
The Commune

On 25 October 2023, Molotov cocktails were thrown at the official residence of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Sardar Patel Road in Chennai.

The individual behind this act of terror has been identified as ‘Karukka’ Vinod. Reports reveal that Vinod has a history of criminal activities and violence. To execute his plan, Vinod siphoned gasoline from motorcycles parked at the Saidapet Court premises. He later transferred this stolen fuel into two containers and ignited them. At approximately 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, he attempted to throw these incendiary devices near the main entrance of Raj Bhavan, which is frequently used by Governor RN Ravi.

This is not the first time that such harm has befallen Governor RN Ravi – a straightforward person who often speaks his mind and touches the raw nerve of the DMK and Dravidianists. And when he does, the DMK through its henchmen (both online and offline) abuse and resort to instigating violence.

Here is a list of instances where the Governor was abused, disrespected and threatened with violence by members of the ruling DMK.

“We’ll Send A Terrorist To Shoot And Kill You”: DMK Stage Speaker Sivaji Krishnamurthy 

In January 2023, DMK member Krishnamoorthy known for his crass speeches abused Governor Ravi and threatened to unleash terrorists to shoot and kill him. All this because the Governor did not read out the speech that he was given which led to the DMK insulting him by expunging his speech while he was on the floor of the assembly.

He said, “CM is asking us not to scold the Governor. Had he read the speech properly, I would have placed flowers on his feet and thanked him with folded hands. But don’t I have the right to slap him with a slipper if he denies saying Ambedkar’s name? If you deny saying his name, you go to Kashmir. We’ll send a terrorist to shoot and kill you.”

“Oruthan”: MK Stalin

CM Stalin himself spoke about the Governor in “singular” and in a derogatory fashion. MK Stalin while speaking at the launch of DMK Youth Wing App and Dravida Model training camp 2.0 at the Anna Arivalayam in Chennai in January 2023. In his speech, he referred to Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi indirectly, amid huge applause from the DMK crowd, that there is a person (‘oruthan’ – singular and without respect in Tamil) lamenting here that we should not use the word Tamil Nadu. Stalin’s comment came in the context of the Governor advocating on using the term Tamizhagam instead of Tamil Nadu.

“You’ll Be Beaten With Slippers”: Udhayanidhi Stalin

In August 2023, addressing a group of students who had successfully cleared the NEET exam and their parents, the Governor, having previously returned The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Act, 2021 to the Assembly, only to have it sent back to him, expressed that the NEET examination was not going away.

“I will be the last person to grant approval. Never, under any circumstances. I am not willing for my children to feel intellectually inadequate. I want our youth to compete and excel. They have demonstrated this.”, Governor Ravi had said.

Following this, the student and medical wing of the DMK had organized an alleged “state-wide” “hunger strike” against NEET. Speaking at the protest meeting in Chennai, Udhayanidhi Stalin went on to attack the Tamil Nadu Governor saying “You are just a postman. Whatever we say, our Chief Minister says, your job is only to send it to the Union Government. You’re a post man. If we give you respect, you seem to be going on and on!

He further said “His name is not RN Ravi but RSS Ravi.”

Udhayanidhi Stalin also made seemingly instigative remarks saying “Did you come by standing in elections and winning votes? You resign from your Governor post. You decide a constituency in Tamil Nadu. Not me, not senior important leaders of our party, we will field a last standing cadre of DMK. You meet the people. You go tell your principles to the people. They will beat you with slippers.”

“We Can Take The Dead Body”: DMK Minister TRB Rajaa

A dispute between the Tamil Nadu government and Governor RN Ravi, representing the ruling DMK, took center stage in the assembly when the Governor omitted portions of the government’s traditional address. The disagreement stemmed from the government’s praise of its efforts to maintain law and order, which the Governor questioned given recent events, including an incident involving DMK cadres and a female police officer in Virugambakkam. The Governor also sought to alter a sentence commending the government’s role in bringing back 232 Tamil Nadu fishermen from Sri Lanka. He requested that the mention of the State and Union governments’ efforts be included in the sentence. Despite the Governor’s prior communication about these changes, there was no response from the state government. DMK allies and opposition members surrounded the Governor, preventing him from delivering his speech, chanting “Get out Ravi! This is Tamil Nadu.”

Following this, the DMK IT Wing headed by DMK Minister TRB Rajaa started trending the hashtag #GetOutRavi with many members of the DMK spewing abuses and slandering the Governor.

TRB Rajaa himself had said “Come-on boys, if we press a little more, we can touch 111K and can take the body” insinuating Governor RN Ravi to be the dead body to be taken for funeral.

“Rummy Ravi”: DMK IT Wing

For not approving the Rummy bill, the DMK members nicknamed him ‘Rummy’ Ravi and put vile social media posts about him.

Once again, DMK Minister TRB Rajaa took to abusing the Governor targeting his north Indian identity with jibes like “CowEarner”.

Sticks And Stones Pelted On Governor’s Convoy

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi’s convoy faced an attack by individuals associated with various political groups while en route to Mayiladuthirai in April 2022. The attackers, affiliated with parties like DMK, DVK, VCK, CPI, CPM, MMK, SDPI, and movements such as Thamizhar Thanurimai Iyakkam, hurled objects and waved black flags near Mannampanthal.

“Ng*tha”: Sivaji Krishnamoorthy Returns

Serial abuser Sivaji Krishnamoorthy abused Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi once again for taking back the order to dismiss Liquor Minister Senthil Balaji. Krishnamoorthy berated the Governor’s decision to rescind the order dismissing Liquor Minister Senthil Balaji. He criticised Ravi’s response to a DMK petition requesting the reallocation of Senthil Balaji’s portfolios. Krishnamoorthy highlighted the Governor’s perceived flip-flop, stating, “You said it was wrong, you said you won’t accept. If you were born to your mother, you should have been strong about your stand, ng*tha, you changed it.”

“Came From Bihar”: EV Velu

In June 2023, DMK State Highways Minister AV Velu while addressing a meeting made fun of Governor Ravi for being from Bihar as he praised the “Dravidian Model”, “Tamil Nadu is one of the fastest-growing states in India. No one from here goes to Bihar in search of work. On the contrary, many people from Bihar come here for work. Governor (RN Ravi) has also come here from Bihar.”

Dravidian Model Of Maintaining Law & Order

Day in and day out, Governor RN Ravi faces a volley of abuses from DMK members and Dravidian Stockists. The Tamil Nadu police which is busy going after people who criticize the DMK on social media based on complaints by ruling party functionaries has failed to take register a case based on the complaint of Governor’s office. The Raj Bhavan’s communique accused the Tamil Nadu police of killing a fair investigation before it even began.

This makes one wonder whether the Tamil Nadu police has become a mercenary force of the DMK, that is hell bent on hunting down critics, sometimes going as far as Delhi and Gujarat to arrest people who had criticized the DMK or its members.

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