Demanding the recall of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi for insulting Thamizh Thai Vazhthu (invocation for mother Tamil), DMK Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi, MP, on Tuesday likened his walkout from the assembly to that of a kid running away from school citing lame excuses like stomach ache.

“It is enough for him to send a leave letter for the Chief Minister to accept it. But, his conduct is akin to that of a kid running away from school under the pretext of stomach ache or headache,” she said, addressing a demonstration in the city, organised as part of the statewide protests to condemn the Governor for his boycott of the inaugural assembly session of the new year.

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“Why should you come and get shamed? It is better for you to stay back. You are rattled and running away whenever Chief Minister Stalin stands up. Just inform, the CM is a very good person, and he’ll allow that. But, there is a limit to the tolerance of the Chief Minister,” she said adding “Singing the Tamil invocation first is the long held tradition in the state Assembly.

On the National Anthem, she said, “We are not insulting the National Anthem. But, it is perplexing as to why you are clinging to it. What is your role in the Freedom Movement? Those who have tendered apology to the British (reference to Savarkar) need not worry about it. When the country was at war it was Tamil Nadu under Karunanidhi government which gave the highest cash donation. Where were you then? We know how to protect the Constitution, the National Anthem and the people.” “We are PhD in this while you haven’t even crossed elementary school.”

Former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran, MP and party Organization Secretary RS Bharathi were among those who spoke on the occasion.

The ruling DMK is holding protests across the state against Governor Ravi following Monday’s sensational development in the House. At the commencement of the session, Ravi asked that the National Anthem be sung first as is the practice in other state legislatures. It was not heeded and the Tamil Thai Vazhthu was played, which is the convention in the TN Assembly where the National Anthem is sung after the customary Governor’s address. In protest, the Governor left the House in a huff without reading the address, prepared by the government.

Later, the Raj Bhavan, in a clarification, said in an ‘X’ post, “The Constitution of Bharat and the National Anthem were insulted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly… Not to be a party to such brazen disrespect… Governor in deep anguish left the House.”