Chennai | A fresh political controversy erupted on Thursday after the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu (invocation song) was rendered last in the sequence of songs performed during the swearing-in of newly inducted Tamil Nadu ministers at Lok Bhavan.
DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi strongly condemned the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu being placed third in the order of songs at the swearing-in of TVK ministers, saying the incident reflected that, just as the Tamil invocation song was pushed down in sequence, Tamil Nadu too would be pushed back in every sphere.
“There has been continuous disrespect to the Tamil invocation song,” he said in a statement.
Left parties also objected to the Tamil anthem being sung after Vande Mataram and the national anthem at the swearing-in ceremony held in the presence of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, marking his maiden cabinet expansion.
As many as 21 TVK MLAs and two Congress legislators were inducted into the Cabinet earlier in the day.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to the 23 newly inducted ministers.
A similar controversy had emerged when the Tamil anthem, traditionally sung at the commencement of state government functions, was placed third after Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana during Vijay’s swearing-in as CM on May 10.
Stating that the Tamil Nadu governor should prioritise the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian said the sentiments of the Tamil people should be taken into due consideration.
“We reiterate that the governor should give more importance to the Tamil anthem. We respect India’s national song and national anthem, but we insist that the Tamil anthem should be given priority,” Veerapandian told reporters.
He clarified that his party was not against the national song or national anthem but wanted the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu to be accorded priority at government events.
Veerapandian further defended the state government, 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 sentiments of the Tamil people.
CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam said that when the issue of the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu being sung last was raised with the CM, the latter clarified the administrative protocol dictating the sequence.
According to Shanmugam, the CM said that the governor, as the representative of the central government, follows its protocol. Consequently, Vande Mataram is rendered first in all official events attended by the governor, the president, or the vice president.
However, Shanmugam assured that this protocol would not apply to independent Tamil Nadu government events where such constitutional authorities are not present.
Newly inducted TVK minister N Marie Wilson defended the state government, saying the event’s logistics were entirely outside its control.
“Both functions (the May 10 and May 21 swearing-in ceremonies) were organised by the governor’s office. The state government has no role in it. We have clarified this earlier, and this remains our position today,” she said.
When questioned about the unfolding controversy and the CPI’s criticisms, Minister Venkataramanan briefly noted that the matter would be “checked and addressed” by the party leadership.
Chennai | VCK chief Thol Thirumavalan on Thursday said that his party decided to join the TVK-led cabinet in Tamil Nadu, and his party legislator Vanni Arasu will be nominated for induction.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Thirumavalavan announced that the decision was taken after knowing the views of his party officebearers, and there was an overwhelming support for the idea of joining the government.
VCK party enjoys predominantly Dalit support, and it has been a long-time ally of DMK. The party contested in eight seats in the just-concluded Assembly polls as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and won in two seats. Vanni Arasu represents the Tindivanam constituency.
Soon after the election, as no party enjoyed a clear majority to form the government, VCK decided to extend outside support to TVK to form the government, while remaining in the DMK-led alliance, stating that the decision was taken to prevent the state from going into President's rule due to political inconclusiveness.
Thirumavalavan said the decision to join the cabinet follows an open invitation from TVK to both the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
"We have initially submitted a letter of support and confirmed to the press that we would support the government from the outside. However, our party cadres and office-bearers repeatedly insisted on cabinet participation. While we did not immediately review our stance, an open invitation subsequently arrived from the TVK leadership, from Aadhav Arjuna, prompting us to reconsider," Thirumavalavan said.
During a high-level committee's virtual meeting held on May 8, which saw the participation of 32 top leaders, a majority had strongly advocated for cabinet representation. While the high-level body ultimately authorised the party chief to make the final call, subsequent deliberations with general secretaries Sinthanai Selvan and D Ravikumar on the May 9 morning led to a decision to provide unconditional support from the outside, Thirumavalavan added.
He emphasised that sharing power has been a foundational pillar of its political philosophy since it entered electoral politics in 1999.
He also underscored that it was the first political movement in Tamil Nadu to advocate for the principle of "Aatchiyilum Pangu, Adhigarathilum Pangu" (a share in governance and a share in power).
When reporters asked about VCK’s current position with regard to the DMK-led alliance, and whether it has formally exited that alliance, Thirumavalavan did not answer.
"Today, we are only making the announcement regarding our decision to join the cabinet. We will discuss all other matters comprehensively in the coming days," the VCK chief stated, adding that an official press meeting would be convened shortly to address those questions.