In a backhanded compliment to Governor RN Ravi for his continued anti-Dravidian rants as well as his turf war with the DMK government, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday made a fervent plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to allow him to remain at the Raj Bhavan, saying his continuation is politically beneficial to the Dravidian major.

“Please do not change him. Let him remain in office. Let him be here so that the support for the DMK grows further and further. He should be here. I am making a request to the Prime Minister and Home Minister Amit Shah not to change him,” the Chief Minister said, welcoming the functionaries and members of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) of film maker Seeman into the DMK fold at an event held at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, here.

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“Many a time, I myself was worried as to why the Governor is engaged in unnecessary things, speaking against us and debunking Dravidian (ideology) in support of Aryan ideology with religion as his focus. Because of this there is a growing chorus seeking his recall. No. But, have we passed a resolution demanding his removal? We haven’t,” he said adding, “He should come to the Assembly to deliver the Governor’s address next time and leave without reading it. We should witness it and the people should watch it. Hence, it is my request to the Prime Minister and Home Minister Amit Shah not to change the Governor and allow him to be here itself, ” he said.

Earlier this month, RN  Ravi had walked out of the Assembly without delivering the Governor’s address, prepared by the government, protesting that the National Anthem was not played at the commencement of the session, the first for this year. Speaker M Appavu turned down Ravi’s suggestion that it be played, saying that the practice and tradition in the Tamil Nadu legislature was to sing the state anthem, Tamil Thai Vazhthu (invocation to mother Tamil) in the beginning and the national anthem after the Governor completes his address. This was the third time that he had left the House in a huff.

The CM then said that some people are allergic to DMK’s Dravidian Model of Governance and are enraged. “But their derision only helps us grow further and we continue to say that (Dravidian Model). The party too is growing with its support base increasing,” he pointed out. Turning his attention to leaders of newly-launched parties dreaming to occupy the CM’s gaddi, he said, “I do not want to name them and accord them recognition and degrade this event. They are blabbering that the next government is their’s and that they are the Chief Ministers in waiting.” Stalin, recalling how the DMK, launched in 1949, entered the electoral arena in 1957, said the reason for not mentioning the party (NTK) was that it was not interested in the welfare of the Tamils but was wearing a mask and was enacting a drama.

“Prior to the DMK contesting the elections in 1957, at the Trichy conference voting was conducted to ascertain the views of the partymen on entering the poll arena. In 1957, the party won 15 seats and in 1962 it was 50 seats. Then in 1967, under CN Annadurai (Anna), the party captured power. Now, under my leadership, the party is heading the government for the sixth time,” he explained.