Stalin, Ravi lock horns over TN govt’s ‘fight’ slogan, Guv’s holdback of varsity Bill

After issues like NEET, Hindi imposition, delimitation, ONOE, and disputes over GST fund sharing, the recent war of words between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Governor RN Ravi has intensified into a full-blown Centre-state conflict.

In a fresh escalation of the long-simmering feud between Ravi and the DMK-led state government, Stalin has fired back at the governor's public jibe over the ruling party's signature slogan ‘Tamil Nadu Poraadum’ (Tamil Nadu is fighting). The exchange that unfolded amid the governor’s delay in approving the Kalaignar University Bill underscores deepening rifts over constitutional roles, with the Supreme Court already intervening in prior disputes.

Ravi decries TN ‘war cry’

The latest flashpoint erupted during a solemn event at Raj Bhavan on Sunday (October 5), marking the 202nd birth anniversary of revered saint-poet Vallalar. Addressing a gathering, Governor Ravi took aim at the ubiquitous DMK slogan plastered across the state's walls.

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"When I travel across Tamil Nadu, I see the slogan 'Tamil Nadu will fight' written on walls; who will it fight with? No one is fighting against Tamil Nadu. We are all brothers and sisters," Ravi remarked, urging unity over confrontation. "There is no fight here with anyone. We must all progress together."

He invoked Vallalar's teachings to decry social divisions, poverty, and discrimination—issues he said plague even a progressive state like Tamil Nadu—while criticising "politics (that) has taken the path of dividing and ruling.”

‘It’s a fight against arrogance,’ retorts Stalin

Stalin, undeterred, swiftly countered on X, framing the "fight" as a defence against perceived overreach and cultural impositions.

"Tamil Nadu will fight against the arrogance that says we will give educational funding only if Hindi is accepted," he declared, alluding to broader national debates on language policy.

The chief minister accused unnamed forces—implicitly including the governor—of peddling superstitions in education and undermining state autonomy. "We will fight against the conspiracy to drag the younger generation back a century by spreading superstitions and fabricated stories in institutions that sow scientific temper," Stalin added, vowing legal battles to safeguard constitutional dignity.

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"We go to court every time against the governor's abuse of power to establish state rights and will continue to fight against those who seek to undermine the dignity of the Constitution."

Kalaignar University Bill

At the heart of this renewed clash lies the Kalaignar University Bill, passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly in April 2025 to establish a new institution in Kumbakonam honoring late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. The bill controversially nominates Stalin as its first vice-chancellor, a move critics say will politicise academia. Governor Ravi has withheld assent to the bill, referring it to President Droupadi Murmu on grounds of constitutional impropriety in a decision that the DMK brands as blatant obstructionism.

The clash follows the Supreme Court's landmark April 2025 verdict declaring Ravi's earlier withholding of assent on 10 bills "unconstitutional," a ruling that emboldened the state government to accuse the governor of systematically subverting elected authority.

Ravi, in turn, maintains his interventions to uphold democratic safeguards against executive overreach. DMK leaders have already petitioned the Supreme Court for relief on the university bill, with hearings slated for next month.

Also read: DMK functionary's PhD scholar wife refuses to receive degree from TN Governor

Ravi accuses DMK of divisive politics

VCK party leader Thol Thirumavalavan, speaking to The Federal, criticised the governor for mocking the DMK's ideological initiatives in a manner that portrays him as a functionary of a political party. "He remarked that it is habitual for the governor to engage in political discourse beyond his duties and boundaries, adding that he must understand this constitutes an ideological clash with the DMK".

When the DMK claims that Tamil Nadu is a progressive state, Governor Ravi accuses that: “Despite high literacy and education levels, the rights of Dalits are highly questionable. It makes one wonder how people in Tamil Nadu, which has a high level of higher education, are being misguided like this. Literacy alone will not change discrimination. The only way to correct this high and low (caste hierarchy) is through social reform. Meanwhile, political parties are continuously engaged in efforts that foster division and schism.”

Ravi’s remark misrepresents state of Dalits: Cong

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K Selvaperunthagai has strongly condemned Ravi's remarks that misrepresent the status of Dalit communities, labelling them as irresponsible and politically motivated.

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He told The Federal that he deems “the governor's assertion that Dalits in Tamil Nadu face severe oppression as utterly false and driven by ulterior political motives, which dishonour the state's proud social history by distorting the reality of the Dalit community's position.”

Selvaperunthagai also emphasised that such “irresponsible comments” from the governor are unacceptable, and that the “Congress firmly rejects any words that demean Tamil Nadu—a land brimming with equality and self-respect in the hearts of its people.”

What next?

As the monsoon session of the Assembly looms, analysts predict an intensified rhetoric, with the DMK leveraging the "Poraadum" narrative to rally its base ahead of Assembly polls. Governor Ravi, meanwhile, could face fresh judicial scrutiny if the apex court echoes its prior stance. In a state where federal fault lines run deep, this spat risks spilling into a broader national discourse on governors' powers—potentially testing alliances in the fragile INDIA bloc.

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Tamil Nadu Minister Durai Murugan, speaking to The Federal, said: “Ravi is behaving like the Leader of the Opposition. He has thrown to the winds the dignity and stature befitting a governor and is indulging in low-level talk. Therefore, we neither respect him as governor nor speak about him.”