Tamil Nadu CM Stalin To Skip Independence Day Tea Party Hosted By Guv Ravi, Cites This Reason

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin will boycott the Governor's Independence Day tea party, mirroring a Republic Day protest over alleged obstruction of state governance.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced that he will not attend the Independence Day tea party hosted by Governor RN Ravi. Following Chief Minister MK Stalin’s advice, as a mark of protest against Governor RN Ravi, State Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian will skip the convocation ceremonies at Alagappa University and Tiruvalluvar University on August 18 and 19.

Stalin To Skip Governor's I-Day Tea Party 

Tamil Nadu Government said, "CM's boycott of tea party is to oppose Governor Ravi who acts against interests of Tamil Nadu people."

This decision follows a similar move earlier this year, when the Tamil Nadu government skipped the Republic Day tea party at Raj Bhavan on January 26, 2025, citing the Governor’s alleged actions as obstructive to the state government’s functioning. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), led by Stalin, had stated that no party representatives would attend the Republic Day event. Several other parties, including Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and Left-wing parties, also chose to boycott the reception.

Despite past tensions between the state government and Governor Ravi, Chief Minister Stalin and his cabinet colleagues had attended the Independence Day reception hosted by the Governor on August 15, 2024, as part of national celebrations. The current decision signals continuing friction in the relationship between the Tamil Nadu government and the Raj Bhavan.

Meanwhile, the DMK government has accused the Governor of repeatedly expressing views that run counter to the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu. It cited the example of the Bill passed by the Assembly to set up Kalaignar University in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur district, which was sent to the Governor for approval.