Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 13 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has sparked a row by asking students to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' during an event in Madurai.

At an event held at a private engineering college in Madurai on Saturday, Ravi, who was the chief guest, at the end of his address, asked students to chant after him the slogan.

Congress MLA JMH Hassan Maulaana said the Governor's remarks were highly condemnable, stating that the latter was speaking the language of the RSS and the BJP. He said that such remarks did not behove the constitutional post occupied by R N Ravi.

'The Governor is occupying one of the highest posts in the country but he is speaking like a religious leader... He has become a propaganda master of the RSS and the BJP. See, this is not the way the Governor can act.' the Velachery MLA told ANI.

'What the TN Governor is doing is highly condemnable, he is acting like an RSS face in Tamil Nadu and spreading its ideology. The position he holds is a constitutional post, so he has to remain neutral,' Hassan said.

Further, the Congress leader said that Governor Ravi had already been slammed by the Supreme Court, which, he said, had given a historical judgement against him for acting in an unconstitutional, illegal, and erroneous manner by not taking action on 10 bills passed by the State legislature.

Meanwhile, the Governor, during his address at the college in Madurai on Saturday, strongly condemned the use of 'vulgar and contemptuous' language by a senior leader of the ruling DMK government in the State, describing it as 'unacceptable and shameful.'

'We recently witnessed an individual holding a high position in the ruling government use deeply vulgar, mocking, and offensive language towards women. Such behaviour is not only unbecoming of a public figure but is utterly unacceptable and shameful,' the Governor said.

Expressing concern over the apparent growing tolerance for such conduct in public life, he added, 'It is deeply disturbing that we have come to a point where someone in a position of authority can speak about women in such derogatory terms. This is not just unacceptable--it is a dangerous trend.'

Directly referring to the individual in question, Governor Ravi said, 'The gentleman--I use that term with great reluctance--has not only humiliated and insulted women but has also directed contemptuous remarks at devotees of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

DMK had recently removed the State forest minister K Ponmudy from his position of deputy general secretary post for his derogatory and 'vulgar' remarks against women and certain sections of Hinduism.

Ponmudy had purportedly made a 'joke' on two different sects of Hinduism, Shaivism and Viashnavism, drawing criticism from multiple leaders. (ANI)