Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has announced that he will boycott the Governor’s traditional Independence Day tea party at Raj Bhavan on August 15, 2025. Joining the protest, Higher Education Minister K Kovi Chezhiyan has also declared that he will not attend the upcoming convocation ceremonies at Alagappa University and Thiruvalluvar University, scheduled for August 18 and 19.
The move is intended as a public demonstration against Governor R N Ravi, whom the state government accuses of acting in ways detrimental to Tamil Nadu’s welfare, particularly in matters concerning higher education. One major flashpoint has been the Governor’s decision to refer the bill for establishing Kalaignar University in Kumbakonam to the President of India rather than granting his assent, thereby delaying its formation.
Further tensions have arisen from the Governor’s stance in an ongoing Supreme Court case related to university governance. In this matter, Governor Ravi filed a counter-affidavit aligning with the arguments of BJP leader Venkatachalapathi, which the state government claims reveals clear political bias. Minister Chezhiyan also linked the prolonged vacancies of Vice-Chancellors in several universities to the Governor’s conduct, arguing that these delays are harming the state’s higher education system.
The discord between the state leadership and the Governor has been further underscored by public incidents. At a convocation in Tirunelveli just a day earlier, a doctoral graduate declined to receive her degree from Governor Ravi, instead opting to accept it from the university’s Vice-Chancellor. The graduate, who is the wife of DMK Nagercoil Deputy Secretary M Rajan, later explained her decision as a protest against what she described as the Governor’s “anti-Tamil and anti–Tamil Nadu” stance.
