A fresh political controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu on Thursday after the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, the state invocation song, was rendered last during the swearing-in ceremony of newly inducted ministers in the cabinet expansion led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.
The ceremony, held at Lok Bhavan in Chennai in the presence of Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, witnessed the singing of Vande Mataram and the national anthem before the Tamil anthem, drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties and allies.
Leaders of the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam objected to the sequence, stating that Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu has traditionally been rendered at the beginning of government functions in the state.
A similar controversy had surfaced earlier on May 10 during Vijay's swearing-in ceremony as Chief Minister, when the Tamil anthem was reportedly sung after Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana.
DKM, Left parties slam Vijay
Stating that Tamil Nadu Governor should prioritise the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian emphasised that the sentiments of the Tamil people also should be taken into due consideration.
"We reiterate that the Governor should pay more attention to prioritising the Tamil Anthem. We respect India's national song and national anthem. But we reiterate that the Governor should give priority to the Tamil anthem," Veerapandian told reporters.
He clarified that his party was not against the national song or anthem but wanted the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu to be accorded priority at government events. Veerapandian further shielded the state government from blame, pointing out that the state assembly correctly prioritises the Tamil invocation song. "This is an event of the Governor and the Union Government," he noted, urging the Governor to respect the emotions of the Tamil people.
CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam said when the issue of the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu being sung last was taken up with the Chief Minister, the latter clarified the administrative protocols dictating the sequence.
Meanwhile, DMK spokesperson Kanimozhi NVN Somu alleged that the development reflected a lack of respect for the Tamil language and identity. "This shows the administration's respect for Tamil and Tamil Nadu. As long as the DMK was in power, we never bowed down our heads when there was any disrespect to the language. This shows how they have been manhandled by the Governor," she said.
Meanwhile, newly inducted TVK Minister N Marie Wilson strongly defended the state government, emphasizing that the event's logistics were entirely out of their hands. "Both functions (May 10 and May 21 swearing-in ceremonies) were organised by the Governor's office. It has no role to play with the state government. We have clarified this earlier, and this remains our statement today," the Finance minister said.
When questioned about the unfolding controversy and the CPI's criticisms, Minister Venkataramanan briefly noted that the matter will be "checked and addressed" by the party leadership.
Tamil Nadu Cabinet expansion
Chief Minister Vijay today expanded his Cabinet by inducting 23 more legislators as ministers, including two from the Congress, which marked the return of the grand old party to governance in Tamil Nadu after almost 60 years.
Of the 23 newly inducted ministers, 21 are legislators from the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), while the remaining two belong to the Congress party, an ally of the government. TVK MLAs, including Srinath, S Kamali, C Vijayalakshmi and R V Ranjithkumar were initially sworn-in as ministers.
Congress MLAs S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan took oath as ministers today. Their inclusion marks the first time since 1967 that the Congress party has formally joined the Tamil Nadu government as the Dravidian majors--DMK and AIADMK, have never accommodated allies, including the Congress, that has aligned with both parties at different points of time.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Lok Bhavan and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the minister-designates.
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