A fresh political controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu on Thursday during the swearing-in ceremony of 23 newly inducted ministers in Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's Cabinet after Vande Mataram was played before Tamil Thai Vazhthu, reigniting the long-standing debate over official state event protocols.
The opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam strongly criticised the move, accusing the Vijay government of sidelining Tamil traditions and adopting "BJP-style politics". The DMK said Tamil Nadu has historically followed the convention of beginning official functions with Tamil Thai Vazhthu and ending them with the national anthem. Party leaders alleged the revised sequence reflected pressure from Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and disrespected the state's linguistic identity.
The controversy echoed similar criticism during Vijay's own swearing-in ceremony earlier this month, when Tamil Thai Vazhthu was also played after Vande Mataram and the national anthem.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet expansion ceremony itself drew attention after newly inducted Congress minister S. Rajesh Kumar deviated from the official oath text by mentioning Congress leaders K. Kamaraj, Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi during his oath-taking. Governor Arlekar immediately interrupted him, stating that the remarks were not part of the constitutional oath.
The ceremony also witnessed political sloganeering by some ministers from the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, with leaders raising slogans in support of Chief Minister Vijay and Tamil identity after taking oath.
For the first time in nearly six decades, the Congress party is set to become part of the Tamil Nadu Cabinet as two of its MLAs are scheduled to take oath as ministers in the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government on Thursday.
The announcement came after Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge approved the induction of Congress MLAs S.Rajesh Kumar and P.Viswanathan into the state Cabinet led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.
The move is being viewed as an important step in the evolving political landscape of Tamil Nadu and a significant strengthening of the alliance supporting the TVK government.
Confirming the development through a social media post and describing it as a landmark moment for the party, AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said: "This is a historic occasion for us, as the Congress joins the Tamil Nadu cabinet after a long gap of 59 years."
He also extended his best wishes to the two leaders and expressed confidence that they would work towards fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Tamil Nadu while carrying forward a welfare-oriented governance model.
The Congress currently has five MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Assembly and emerged as a key supporting force for the TVK government following the Assembly election.
The support extended by Congress, along with alliance partners including Left parties, VCK and IUML, helped the Vijay-led administration comfortably cross the majority mark in the Assembly.
Political observers view the induction of Congress ministers as more than a routine Cabinet expansion. It is being seen as a calculated move by the TVK leadership to strengthen alliance management and provide greater representation to supporting parties while maintaining political stability.
(With inputs from IANS)
