A political controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, May 21, when the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu – Tamil invocation song – was rendered last in the sequence of songs that were recited during the swearing-in of the newly inducted ministers in the C Joseph Vijay-led Cabinet at the Raj Bhavan.
The Left parties has taken exception to the Tamil anthem being sung after Vande Mataram and the national anthem at the swearing-in ceremony, which was held in the presence of the Chief Minister to mark his maiden Cabinet expansion.
In total, 21 TVK MLAs along with two Congress legislators were inducted into the Cabinet. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to the 23 newly inducted ministers, PTI reported.
Notably, this comes after a similar row had surfaced when Vijay was sworn in as Chief Minister on May 10.
At that time, the Tamil anthem, which is traditionally sung at the commencement of state government functions, was recited third after Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana.
CPI state secretary M Veerapandian said the Governor should prioritise the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu as the sentiments of the Tamil people 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,” PTI quoted Veerapandian as saying.
However, he made it clear that his party was not against the national song or anthem, but wanted the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu to be accorded priority at government events.
CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam further mentioned that when the matter was taken up with the Chief Minister, the latter clarified the administrative protocols dictating the sequence.
According to Shanmugam, Vijay shared that the Governor, functioning as a representative of the Central Government, follows its mandates. This means that ‘Vande Mataram’ will be rendered first in all official events participated in by the Governor, the President, or the Vice President.