Governor’s Address Marks Smooth Start to 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly Session Chennai: The first session of the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly commenced smoothly on Thursday, June 18, 2026, with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar delivering his customary address.
The session follows the formation of the new government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, which recently secured a trust vote. Proceedings began at 10 a.m.
with the rendition of the State song *Tamil Thaai Vazhthu* (Invocation of Mother Tamil), followed by the National Anthem. In a departure from convention, the National Anthem was played at both the beginning and the conclusion of the Governor’s address.
This practice contrasts with the previous norm of playing it only at the end. During the earlier DMK regime, a controversy had erupted when then-Governor R.N.
Ravi walked out of the Assembly, citing objections to the Speaker’s refusal to play the National Anthem at the start of the session. Governor Arlekar began his 37-minute address at 10:02 a.m., quoting former Chief Minister C.N.
Annadurai: “The people are the true masters of the nation.” His speech, divided into 57 points, included references to the Tamil literary classic *Thirukkural* and a statement by B.R. Ambedkar emphasizing the importance of equality, liberty, and fraternity in a democracy.
The address concluded at 10:39 a.m., after which Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar read out its Tamil version, completing it by 11:10 a.m. The session ended with the National Anthem, and the Governor departed at 11:11 a.m.
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