'GetoutRavi' posters crop up in Tamil Nadu; BJP hits back with banners hailing him

Chennai, Jan 10: A day after the spat between the ruling DMK and Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on the floor of the state assembly, "#GetoutRavi" posters, prominently featuring Chief Minister M K Stalin surfaced in some parts of the city.

The hashtag was trending on Twitter on Monday following Ravi's face-off with the state government in the Assembly where Stalin, also president of the ruling DMK piloted a resolution against the Governor's deviation from his customary address to the Legislature and retain the draft prepared by his government. However, in Pudukottai, posters were put up by local BJP functionaries hailing Ravi.

Many BJP Twitter handles backed him and slammed the ruling DMK over the matter. Stalin's son and state Minister Udhayanidhi hailed what happened in the Assembly on Monday and said it was an "unprecedented event" in the history of the House. "Normally our leader (Stalin) makes the opposition run with his replies (in the assembly) but this time he made the governor run," he quipped at an event.

Stalin will be the first CM to voice concern whenever "our rights" are affected, he added. A senior TN BJP functionary filed a police complaint against some MLAs of the ruling DMK. In a tweet, A Ashvathaman, State Secretary, said he has filed the complaint under Section 124 of the IPC, which deals with "assaulting President, Governor, etc., with intent to compel or restrain the exercise of any lawful power."

Protests were held in Coimbatore against the Governor by the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam where the agitators attempted to burn an effigy of Ravi. Elsewhere, local BJP workers staged a demonstration condemning the incident. Police detained the respective activists seperately. Meanwhile, another row erupted over the Raj Bhavan's Pongal celebrations invitation allegedly not containing the state government emblem. The invitation contained only the national emblem, many alleged.