TN Assembly Speaker Appavu Calls Governor RN Ravi a ‘Lone Terrorist’
Appavu fires back, says only “terrorist” in state sits in Raj Bhavan.
In a stunning and unprecedented escalation of the protracted confrontation between the Tamil Nadu government and Raj Bhavan, Assembly Speaker M. Appavu on Friday directly branded Governor RN Ravi a “terrorist” while addressing the media on the Assembly premises. The incendiary statement came as a point-blank rebuttal to the Governor’s repeated public assertions that law and order has collapsed under the DMK regime and that the state is witnessing rising criminality and communal tension.
Responding with visible anger to Governor Ravi’s latest remarks, Appavu declared, “He said there is terrorism in Tamil Nadu. Yes, he is absolutely correct about one thing—there is indeed a terrorist in this state, and that lone terrorist is none other than the Governor himself.” The Speaker accused Ravi of deliberately fabricating a narrative of chaos to defame the state and its elected government, insisting that the Governor’s words were a reflection of his own disruptive mindset rather than ground reality.
Appavu further alleged that Governor RN Ravi, drawing from his earlier postings in insurgency-hit regions, was actively attempting to import an atmosphere of fear and terrorism into Tamil Nadu. “He has served in places where terrorism prevailed for years, and now he wants to instigate the very same environment here. But the peace-loving and highly aware people of Tamil Nadu will never permit such designs,” he asserted, praising Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s administration for delivering exemplary safety and development.
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In a remark that quickly drew sharp criticism for its regional overtones, the Speaker contrasted the educational and cultural sophistication of Tamil Nadu’s citizens with an implied disparagement of the Governor’s home state. “People here are literate, politically mature, and vigilant. They are not like the people from his place,” Appavu said, before reiterating that the state remained one of the safest in the country under the DMK’s “safe and people-centric governance.”
The outburst marks a new low in the bitterly strained relationship between Governor RN Ravi and the ruling DMK dispensation, which has accused the Governor of repeatedly overstepping constitutional boundaries, delaying bills, and acting as a political agent rather than a neutral constitutional head. With the Governor recently criticising “Tamil exceptionalism” and alleging promotion of hatred against other languages, Friday’s “terrorist” barb has pushed the institutional conflict into uncharted and highly charged territory.
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