CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi sparked a controversy on Saturday when invites for a Raj Bhavan event featured a photo of Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar in saffron robes. This is the third such row around the governor this year.
Saturday’s controversy unfolded at a time when the state’s DMK govt plans to celebrate the silver jubilee of the installation of a Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari on December 31 and January 1. Ravi has been at loggerheads with the MK Stalin-led administration over a host of issues. In the latest episode, DMK’s Left allies slammed Ravi.
Raj Bhavan hosted a seminar Saturday pertaining to Thiruvalluvar, Kabir and Yogi Vemana, with Ravi as the chief guest. Images of Thiruvalluvar, Kabir and Vemana were printed on the invites, but the row was focused on Thiruvalluvar’s photo in saffron robes. Images released by the state govt show the saint-poet in white robes.
Ravi has used the photo of the saffron-clad Thiruvalluvar, with holy ash on forehead and forearms, in the past. In Jan this year, the governor had garlanded a statue of Thiruvalluvar in saffron robes on Thiruvalluvar Day. In May, the same saffron-robed image marked Raj Bhavan’s Thiruvalluvar Day celebrations.
CPM MP Su Venkatesan accused the governor of pushing “Hindutva politics”. CPI state secretary R Mutharasan alleged that Ravi was using his gubernatorial post to try and disturb peace in Tamil Nadu.