Chennai: In line with the practice followed by President Pranab Mukherjee, Tamil Nadu Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao on Sunday directed discontinuation of prefixing “His Excellency” to his name.
Mr Rao, who is holding additional charge of Tamil Nadu, said only “Honourable”, should be prefixed to his name. “Ch Vidyasagar Rao, the Governor of Tamil Nadu, has directed that henceforth, on all ceremonial occasions and in official and other communications, the word ‘Honourable Governor’ or its Tamil equivalent ‘Maanbumigu Aalunar’, may be used,” a press communiqué from Raj Bhavan said.
Mr Rao has followed Mr Mukherjee, who in 2012 after taking over as President of India, had directed that “his Excellency” can no longer be prefixed to his name. Governors of all states followed suit.
In a departure from the British era practice of addressing Governors as “His Excellency,” Rao directed that “the present practice of using the salutation His Excellency the Governor, or the Tamil equivalent Methagu Aalunar, may be discontinued.”
However, the salutation “His Excellency” will continue to be used in interaction with foreign dignitaries, the release said. After taking over as Governor of Kerala in 2014, former CJI, P. Sathasivam too had dispensed with the practice of using the words “His Excellency.”
