COIMBATORE: Higher education minister Govi Chezhiaan said he boycotted the 40th convocation of Bharathiar University on Saturday to condemn Governor R N Ravi insulting the Tamil Nadu assembly’s decorum and the students in the state. Ravi presented degrees to students at the convocation.Responding to reporters after a DMK manifesto committee meeting in the city, the minister alleged that the governor had repeatedly belittled the state’s higher education system and questioned the standards of its students. He said such remarks, despite the state’s strong standing in higher education, were unwarranted and showed a lack of understanding. He accused the governor of undermining the dignity and traditions of the Tamil Nadu assembly, referring to his walkout during an address as disrespectful. “If the governor respects the Tamil people and the honour of the assembly, I will consider sharing platforms with him in the future,” Chezhiyaan said.Chezhiyaan and former minister V Senthil Balaji participated in the public consultation meeting of the DMK’s 2026 assembly election manifesto preparation committee and received petitions from various organisations. Chezhiaan said the AIADMK had failed to implement free bus travel for senior citizens above 60 years of age. “After the DMK came to power, the first two years were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the third year by heavy rain and floods. Despite these challenges, economic growth picked up in the fourth year, and within two years Tamil Nadu has emerged as one of the leading states in economic growth, as acknowledged by the Union govt,” he said. Chezhiyaan added that among the promises made by the DMK, only those requiring cooperation from the Union govt remained pending while others had been implemented.
