The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, through a recent communication sent to all secretaries, governors and Lieutanant governors, announced that Raj Bhavans in all states and Raj Niwases in Union Territories will be renamedas Lok Bhavans and Lok Niwases, respectively.
The change, however, has irked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who has said that “a change in mindset is needed”.
Raj Bhavan becomes Lok Bhavan: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s role
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has, on several occasions, referred to the Raj Bhavan as Makkal Maaligai (Lok Bhavan). On October 3, 2023, while addressing freedom fighters, the governor had said the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan was being transformed into Makkal Maaligai. During the 2024 Conference of Governors, a committee chaired by Ravi, recommended renaming of all Raj Bhavans
to ‘Lok Bhavan’ and Raj Niwases to ‘Lok Niwas. In the proposal, Ravi had argued the term ‘Raj Bhavan’ carries “a distinct colonial imprint”, and replacing it with ‘Lok Bhavan’ (People’s House) would reflect a more democratic, people-centric ethos. The Centre accepted the recommendation, following which the directive was issued on November 25.
The impact
In Tamil Nadu, the official stationery, letterheads and official designation has begun reflecting ‘Lok Bhavan or Lok Niwas’. The WhatsApp group used by the governor’s office to send communications to the media has also been renamed as Lok Bhavan Tamil Nadu News. Invitations issued for an official programme on Monday also carried the new title.
பெயர் மாற்றத்தைவிடச் சிந்தனை மாற்றமே தேவை!
சட்டமன்றம் = மக்கள் மன்றம்! சட்டமன்றத்தை மதிக்காதவர்கள், “மக்கள் மாளிகை” எனப் பெயர் மாற்றுவது கண் துடைப்பா? மக்களாட்சித் தத்துவத்தின் கண்களில் மண்ணைத் தூவுவதற்கா?
மக்களால் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட அரசுகளையும், மக்களின் விருப்பத்தை நிறைவேற்ற… https://t.co/yDnGBLHTPq
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) November 30, 2025
‘Unnecessary’: What is Stalin’s stance?
Responding to the change, Stalin, in a post on X, said, “Changing the name is less important than changing the mindset! Legislative Assembly = People’s Forum! For those who do not respect the Legislative Assembly, is changing the name to “People’s Palace” just a superficial gesture? Is it to throw sand in the eyes of the principles of democracy? Respecting the governments elected by the people and the sovereign Legislative Assembly that fulfills the people’s will is the need of the hour! If there is no change in thought and action, this too is unnecessary!”
Stalin vs Ravi: The standoff continues
This is not the first time that the CM is not agreeing with the Governor. The two have clashed on several occasions. Take a look:
Between January 2020 and April 2023, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed around 12 bills dealing with reforms in state universities (appointments of Vice-Chancellors, administrative control, etc.). After these bills were sent to Governor Ravi for assent, many were left pending for long periods without action, or withheld / reserved, the state government claims.
The state government accused the Governor of using his discretionary powers to delay / withhold assent.
On October 31, 2023, the Tamil Nadu government moved Supreme Court challenging Governor’s inaction, converting the standoff into a full-blown constitutional/legal battle.
On April 8, 2025, in a landmark verdict, a division bench of the SC’s Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held that Governor Ravi’s withholding of assent to 10 state-legislated bills was “illegal” and “arbitrary”. The judgment used the Court’s powers under Article 142 to declare that those 10 bills be treated as “deemed assented” from the date they were re-presented to the Governor. The court also laid down that Governors must act on state-passed bills within a fixed timeline (within a month if returning the bill, or within three months for assent) — effectively curbing the practice of prolonged “sitting on bills”.
Stalin had called the verdict a “historic victory” for Tamil Nadu and for all states — saying it upheld state autonomy and legislative rights.
The state Assembly had then passed a bill in May 2025 to establish a new university in Thanjavur / Kumbakonam (named after a DMK leader / icon), which was sent to the Governor for assent, which was, however, not cleared for 40+ days.
The Supreme Court, however, on November 20 held that the Court cannot impose any timelines for decisions of the President and the Governor on granting assent to Bills under the Constitution.
With Agency Inputs
