His attack came days after the governor used his Independence Day address to highlight concerns over drug use and women’s safety in the state. Stalin countered with figures, pointing out that Tamil Nadu ranked second in school education and had managed to attract Rs 10 lakh crore worth of investments in the last four years thanks to stable law and order.

On women’s safety, he invoked National Crime Records Bureau data from 2022 to note that “BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh tops in crimes against women. Therefore, the governor should target BJP-ruled states”.

Stalin also charged that “the Union BJP government is carrying out its cheap politics through the governor who is constantly functioning against Tamil, Tamil Nadu, its people and feelings”. Yet, he also claimed Ravi’s presence ultimately benefited the DMK’s cause. “He is effectively ensuring that our fire for the language, race and ideology burns bright. Let him talk, I am not bothered. I am only bothered about you, want to be truthful to you who have voted for us,” he told the gathering.

Turning to government achievements, Stalin listed a string of initiatives including “Ungaludan Stalin, Nalan Kakkum Stalin, Thayumanavar Scheme,” saying beneficiaries themselves had become ambassadors of these programmes. He inaugurated projects worth Rs 367.77 crore, laid the foundation for works worth another Rs 512 crore, and announced new industrial allocations at the SIPCOT Industrial Park.

Recounting past DMK-led contributions to the district such as the Hogenakkal integrated drinking water scheme, Stalin also spotlighted the state’s ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ free bus travel scheme for women. “The expenditure involved in it was being viewed as savings by women over the four years. Seeing its success, the initiative has been implemented in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh by the respective governments,” he noted.

The event also saw the launch of a Cooperative Department pilot to provide interest-free crop loans to farmers applying online, with the assurance of same-day disbursal. An official release said the initiative, starting in Dharmapuri, would soon expand across Tamil Nadu.

In the larger political backdrop, Stalin’s fiery comments reflect not just a state-versus-governor dispute, but also the DMK’s determination to frame Ravi as a proxy for the BJP’s influence in Tamil Nadu — an ongoing narrative that has turned the Raj Bhavan into a lightning rod for Dravidian resistance.

With PTI inputs