Tamil Nadu PhD Scholar Snubs Governor RN Ravi At Convocation, Refuses To Take Degree From Him News24 –
Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi
A PhD scholar from Manonmaniam Sudaranar University in Tirunalveli town of Tamil Nadu snubbed state governor RN Ravi on Wednesday and insulted him in public by refusing to take the degree from him.
She received the PhD degree from the university vice chancellor N Chandrashekhar, who was standing next to the governor who was the chief guest at the convocation ceremony, where some 800 scholars were to get their degree certificates.
After the event, the scholar, Jean Joseph told media persons at the event that she refused to take the certificate from the governor because he had done nothing for the people of the state and the state of Tamil Nadu.
Incidentally, she is the wife of a local DMK leader, and Vedio of her action and utterances went viral highlighting the the incident that went viral highlighting the political standoff between the DMK government and the governor, who is seen as a representative of the central government. Moreover, his repeated confrontation with the local government has not endeared him to the people of Tamil Nadu, and definitely not to the DMK rank and file. She is the wife of Rajan, a deputy secretary of DMK in Nagercoil district.
The university hands over certificates to the individual candidates before the event, so that the right certificate is given to the right person. The scholars in ceremonial convocation robes, carry their certificate along with them, and pose for formal pictures with the dignitary.
When Jean Joseph waked up to the dais, she passed governor Ravi and handed over her certificate and posed for a picture with the University vice chancellor instead of the governor standing next to him. She also ignored the advice of the Vice chancellor to present her certificate to the governor and instead chose to do the honours with him.
“Since the Governor has done nothing for Tamils and Tamil Nadu, and is working against the State, I chose to receive the degree from Dr. Chandrasekar, a scholar, and did not want to receive my degree from Mr. Ravi,” she said in conversation with a battery of media personnel attending the event.
“When I returned to my seat from the dais, a few fellow candidates around me appreciated my decision to receive the degree from the Vice-Chancellor while ignoring the Governor. I believe in the ‘Dravidian Model’ government, which the Governor is working against. That annoyed me, and I decided to receive the degree from the Vice-Chancellor, whom I consider the right person to do so,” she said.