"Antithetical to Dravidian ideology": DMK's Saravanan Annadurai slams RN Ravi over Hindi-Tamil row

Speaking to ANI DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said,"...We have also had issues with the way the Doordarshan is conducting Hindi month in Tamil Nadu, that too when no other language is celebrated like Hindi. Even the allies of the BJP in Tamil Nadu had opposed it. In that event, the Governor sings the anthem by leaving out the word 'Dravida'. We have seen how the Governor is antithetical to Dravidian ideology...What is his agenda?"

He further accused RN Ravi of insulting millions of Tamils and Tamil pride, saying that If the Governor has some self-respect left he will resign from the governor's post.

"Now he (Ravi) wants to insult millions of Tamils, insult the Tamil pride by leaving out a word, a sentence from the anthem. He has done this deliberately and given a half-hearted apology...The CM wants the Union Government to recall the Governor. If the Governor has some modicum of self-respect, he will resign and run away from the state of Tamil Nadu," Saravanan Annadurai added.

This came after the war of words erupted between the Chief Minister and the Governor over the alleged imposition of Hindi and a row over the State anthem.

On Friday, Stalin condemned the distorted rendition of the State anthem, without the reference to the glory of "Dravida" land, at a DD Chennai function in which Governor RN Ravi participated.

Stalin blamed the Governor for the distorted rendition, alleging that it was the latter's "deliberate disrespect" to Tamil Nadu and its people.

Stalin also wondered if Ravi was the "Governor" or an "Aryan". Following these remarks, the Governor accused the Chief Minister of making racist remarks against him.

RN Ravi in response accused MK Stalin of making racist remark against me and levelled false allegations of showing disrespect to Tamizh Thaai Vaazhthu.

"Hon'ble Chief Minister Thiru.@mkstalin has issued a regrettable tweet this evening in which he made a racist remark against me and levelled false allegation of showing disrespect to Tamizh Thaai Vaazhthu... Making racist remarks and alleging incorrect imputations against the governor by the chief minister is unfortunately cheap and lowers the dignity of the high constitutional office of the chief minister," the Governor said in a post from the X handle of Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan.

Reacting to governor's allegation, MK Stalin said that Tamil language is the race and lifeblood of Dravidians, and said that if racism is the mother tongue of this land, then it is his pride.

"A few questions for the Hon'ble Governor, who has responded to my strong criticism for not singing the line 'Dekkanamum Ittishita Dravidanal Tirunadum' in Tamil at the closing ceremony of the Hindi Month celebration. Shouldn't you, who say 'I will sing Tamil greetings with full devotion', immediately condemn them for not completing the song?" the Tamil Nadu CM posted on X.

"You have said 'It is unfortunately cheap for a Chief Minister to make racist comments against a Governor with false allegations'. Governor, Tamil is our race! It is our lifeblood! Tamils are the ones who gave their lives to save the Tamil language. It is the soil that laid the foundations of the First Constitutional Amendment and bears the history of the Indian anti-imposition struggle. If racism is the mother tongue of this land, it is our pride," he added.

MK Stalin also alleged that the central government had not done enough for the development of the Tamil language. (ANI)