'National anthem insulted': Tamil Nadu governor walks out of assembly
What's the story
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi walked out of the state Assembly on Tuesday morning without delivering his customary address. This is the second consecutive year he has done so over the same issue. The Governor entered the House at 9:29am and left by 9:36am. Per reports, he had objected to not playing the National Anthem immediately after Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, the state anthem.
Speaker's stance
Speaker's response to Governor's national anthem objection
Speaker M Appavu intervened during the governor's address, asking him not to change House customs and clarifying that the National Anthem is played at the end of proceedings. Appavu also asserted that only elected MLAs are allowed to express opinions on the floor of the Assembly. As the conversation exchanged, Ravi stated that it was regrettable that his address was interrupted and claimed that his microphone was turned off. The governor's customary address was later read out by the speaker.
Official statement
Governor's office releases statement after assembly walkout
The Governor's office has since released a statement explaining his decision to skip the address. It claimed that the "National Anthem is yet again insulted and the Fundamental Constitutional Duty disregarded." "Governor's mike was repeatedly switched off and he was not allowed to speak. The speech contains numerous unsubstantiated claims and misleading statements. Several crucial issues troubling the people are ignored," the statement added.
Twitter Post
Read the statement here
Lok Bhavan, Tamil Nadu, issues a press release informing of the reasons why Governor RN Ravi walked out of the assembly before delivering his inaugural address.
— ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2026
The release says, "The Governor’s mic was repeatedly switched off, and he was not allowed to speak... Atrocities… pic.twitter.com/GOj6D7jWnF
Governor
'Tamil Nadu becoming less attractive for investors'
The office also alleged that several key issues affecting the people were ignored. Among these was a claim of over ₹12 lakh crore in investments, which the office said was inaccurate, as many MOUs remain only on paper. "Actual investment is hardly a fraction of it. Investment data show that Tamil Nadu is becoming less attractive for investors. Until four years ago Tamil Nadu...was the fourth largest recipient of foreign direct investment. Today it..remain at the Sixth," it said.
Others
Other issued flagged by governor
The Governor's office also highlighted several unaddressed issues in Tamil Nadu. These included a sharp rise in crimes against women, with POCSO rapes increasing by 55% and sexual molestation incidents rising by 33%. The release also mentioned rampant drug abuse among youth, leading to over 2,000 suicides annually. Other issues included nearly 20,000 suicides in one year, declining education standards due to faculty vacancies and mismanagement of village panchayats and temples.