Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and Chief Minister M K Stalin will share the dais at The Gandhigram Rural Institute's convocation here today, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid the ongoing tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the state government.
The Prime Minister will be on a two-day visit to southern states-- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, starting Friday to attend various official engagements. However, the Gandhigram varsity event assumes significance as Ravi and Stalin will share the dais for the first time after the ruling DMK petitioned President Droupadi Murmu seeking for the recall of the TN Governor, claiming his acts were "unbecoming" of the person in the gubernatorial post.
The Governor and the ruling dispensation are at loggerheads over a number of issues including the pending bill on NEET exemption for Tamil Nadu and his statement on 'delay' in the state government handing over the 23 October Coimbatore car explosion to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
In its memorandum submitted with the President's office in New Delhi earlier, DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) charged Ravi with making "communal" remarks and took exception to the various pending Assembly bills. An official at the university said both the Governor and the Chief Minister will be attending the convocation, for which a detailed security cover has been provided in and around the district. The institute is Deemed to be University.