Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has stirred controversy after asking students to chant "Jai Shri Ram" while speaking at an engineering college event in Madurai. The comment, which was captured on video and widely circulated online, has ignited a political storm in the state.

Addressing the gathering, Governor Ravi paid homage to the ancient Tamil poet who composed the Kamba Ramayanam, a regional retelling of the Ramayana. "Let us honour this great devotee of Shri Ram. I will say, and you will respond — Jai Shri Ram," he told students, who were then heard echoing the chant.

The ruling DMK reacted sharply, accusing the Governor of breaching constitutional values. DMK spokesperson A. Dharanidharan called Ravi a “mouthpiece of the RSS” and questioned why he remained in office. "This undermines the secular fabric of the country. The Governor continues to act against the spirit of the Constitution. The Supreme Court recently put him in his place — yet he persists," Dharanidharan said.

Criticism also came from Congress MLA Aassan Maulana, who condemned the Governor for what he described as behavior unbefitting of a constitutional authority. “He is supposed to uphold the dignity of his office, not act like a preacher advancing a particular religious narrative,” he told ANI. “India is a land of diverse faiths, languages, and cultures. Such messaging promotes inequality and division.”

Maulana further accused the Governor of pushing a partisan agenda, saying, “He’s become a propagandist for the RSS and the BJP, instead of remaining neutral.”

This latest controversy follows closely on the heels of a major Supreme Court rebuke directed at Governor Ravi. In a landmark decision, the top court ruled that his prolonged delay in granting assent to 10 bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly was unconstitutional. The court emphasized that governors cannot hold up legislation indefinitely and called such actions a violation of federal principles.

The Supreme Court verdict marked a key victory for the DMK-led state government, which has frequently clashed with the Governor over issues of governance and legislative process.