Chennai: High drama was witnessed in the Tamil Nadu  Assembly on Monday, the opening day of its first session of the New Year, with Governor R.N.Ravi avoiding two paragraphs highlighting the 'Dravidian model' Governance of the DMK and skipping the National Anthem after his customary address.

The first session of the Assembly in 2023 saw a face-off between the Governor and Chief Minister M. K. Stalin after the former, in his customary address to the House, skipped references to certain leaders and the term “Dravidian Model” of government, deviating from the prepared text.

Soon after Assembly Speaker M. Appavu read the Tamil version of the Governor’s address, Stalin, in an unprecedented stance, moved a resolution seeking to retain the entire printed speech of the Governor in the Assembly records.

“It is very sad that the Governor has skipped the speech printed and approved by the House. What he has done is against the policy of the government and the rules of the Assembly. So we move this resolution relaxing Rule 17 of the State Assembly to retain the entire speech,” the Chief Minister said.

The Governor, who is not conversant in Tamil, was seen asking his Secretary as to what the Chief Minister was saying in the House. Upon learning that the House was about to move the resolution, Ravi quickly left the Assembly hall without waiting for the proceedings to conclude.

He left before the resolution was adopted and the traditional National anthem was played which will usually mark the culmination of the day's proceedings.

The resolution, which was put to voice vote by the Speaker, was adopted unanimously.

Even the Opposition AIADMK members were not present for the National Anthem and Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu termed it as an uncivilised act.

This was perhaps for the first time in the history of Tamil Nadu, the Governor has left the House in a huff after deviating from the prepared text and not waiting till the National Anthem was recited..

It is to be noted that the Governor ‘omitted’ two paragraphs highlighting the Dravidian model of the governance and lauding the contribution of Dravidian leaders Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar and Kamarajar.

Earlier, allies of the DMK staged walkout against the Governor's address against the acts of the Governor.

(With UNI inputs)