Chennai, Jan 6 Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu on Monday stated that only the 234 elected legislators have the right to express their views inside the house.
The strength of the Tamil Nadu Assembly is 234.
The Speaker's remark came in response to Governor R.N. Ravi walking out of the house without delivering the speech prepared by the state government.
In a statement on Monday, the Speaker emphasised that the Governor has the constitutional duty to read out the text prepared by the state government under Article 176 of the Constitution.
He reminded the Raj Bhavan that this tradition, followed since the days of the Madras Presidency, remains integral to the functioning of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
Speaker Appavu noted that the elected government and its cabinet prepare the Governor’s speech, and the Governor is expected to deliver it during the first session of the year as a matter of tradition and constitutional duty.
He questioned the Governor’s repeated deviation from this practice and asked whether the Constitution specifies that the House must adhere to a particular schedule based on the Governor’s decisions.
"This Governor has done it thrice. If the same Governor continues, we will still go and invite him respectfully. It is his choice to decide whether to read the text,” the Speaker said.
He reiterated that the Assembly would continue to function in this manner regardless of which party forms the government.
The Speaker’s statement comes after Governor Ravi walked out of the Assembly session immediately after it commenced to protest its decision not to sing the National Anthem and reminded the House of its constitutional responsibility to do so.
He urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to ensure adherence to this protocol. However, only the 'Thamizh Thai Vazhthu' (the Tamil Nadu state song) was sung at the session’s commencement.
In a statement, the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan alleged that the Constitution and the National Anthem were insulted in the Assembly. "Respecting the National Anthem is among the first fundamental duties enshrined in our Constitution," it said.
The statement further noted that the National Anthem is traditionally sung or played in Parliament at the beginning and end of the President’s address and in state legislatures during the Governor’s address. The Raj Bhavan added that during Monday’s session, only the 'Thamizh Thai Vazhthu' was sung upon the Governor’s arrival, contrary to the established protocol.
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