Chennai: The ruling DMK has commenced a campaign ‘Get Out Ravi’ with the party cadres erecting huge banners in several parts of Chennai asking the Governor to leave the state.
The Governor and the ruling DMK coalition have been on a confrontation path for the past several months but gained momentum after the recent statement of the Governor that Tamil Nadu can be called ‘Thamizhagam’.
The Governor had in a function said that the name ‘Tamizhagam’ would be more inclusive than Tamil Nadu. This led to the DMK and its allies coming out strongly against the Governor with the DMK allies, including VCK, Congress, CPI(M), CPI and the Indian Union Muslim League members staging a protest in the Assembly Monday.
The protest reached its peak after the Governor skipped certain portions from the written speech which included references to Dravidian ideologue and founder of Dravida Kazhagam, Thanthai Periyar, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu K. Kamaraj and C.N. Annadurai.
This led to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister moving a resolution against the Governor’s speech and to include all the portions of the written text.
The Governor in another development did not use the state government emblem in his invitation to political party leaders and other prominent persons for Pongal invitation. The Governor has in the letter also mentioned himself as ‘Governor- Thamizhagam’.
Sources in the DMK told IANS that the social media handles of the party have already commenced campaigning extensively on ‘Get Out Ravi’.
-IANS