Chennai, Jan 20 (NationPress) Shortly after Governor R. N. Ravi exited the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly without delivering the traditional Governor’s Address on Tuesday, Lok Bhavan released a comprehensive statement, contending that the Governor was not given a chance to speak.

This clarification surfaced amid rising tensions between the Governor and the DMK administration, culminating in a stark confrontation on the Assembly's opening day.

As per Lok Bhavan's statement, the Governor chose not to deliver the address due to his microphone being “repeatedly switched off,” which prevented him from expressing his views in the House.

Characterizing the event as unprecedented, Lok Bhavan emphasized that the Governor, as the constitutional head of the state, was compelled to leave after being denied the right to voice his opinions. The statement indicated that the Governor intended to address significant omissions and inaccuracies in the prepared speech but was barred from doing so.

Lok Bhavan claimed that the address included numerous unverified and misleading assertions while neglecting crucial public issues. It specifically challenged the government’s claim that Tamil Nadu attracted investments exceeding ₹12 lakh crore.

According to the statement, many memorandums of understanding cited were merely theoretical, with actual investments representing only a fraction of the reported figure. It also indicated that recent data shows Tamil Nadu’s position among the leading recipients of foreign direct investment has declined.

The statement brought attention to the complete disregard for women’s safety issues, especially given the concerning rise in POCSO cases and incidents of sexual violence. Lok Bhavan noted the alarming issue of narcotic and substance abuse among young individuals, including school students, highlighting that over 2,000 suicides annually are linked to drug addiction.

Other critical issues mentioned that were overlooked in the address included increasing atrocities against Dalits, a high suicide rate in the state, ongoing vacancies and alleged mismanagement in educational institutions, and the failure to conduct village panchayat elections for several years, which deprived citizens of their constitutional right to grassroots democracy.

Furthermore, Lok Bhavan expressed concerns about ongoing government control over numerous temples without properly established trustee boards, escalating stress in the MSME sector, dissatisfaction among lower-level government employees, and what it termed as repeated neglect of constitutional responsibilities, including the respect for the National Anthem.

The statement concluded by emphasizing that these issues reflect ground realities and should not have been overlooked in a significant address intended to outline the government's priorities.