Chennai, May 21 (IANS) A fresh political controversy that erupted in Tamil Nadu on Thursday after the recitation of songs during the swearing-in ceremony of 23 newly inducted ministers in Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s Cabinet reignited the debate over the place of Vande Mataram and the Tamil invocation song (Tamil Thai Vazhthu) at official state events.

The issue resurfaced after Vande Mataram was played before the Tamil invocation during the oath-taking ceremony, drawing criticism from the opposition DMK, which accused the government of undermining Tamil traditions and adopting what it described as “BJP-style politics” in the state.

In a strongly worded post on social media platform X, the DMK IT wing questioned the Vijay government for departing from Tamil Nadu’s long-standing convention of beginning official functions with Tamil Thai Vazhthu and concluding them with the national anthem.

The party recalled earlier assurances that the previous protocol would be restored and accused the government of failing to uphold that commitment.

“Do not attempt to practise BJP politics in Tamil Nadu,” the post said, alleging that Tamil traditions were being sidelined.

DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan alleged that the state government lacked control over the situation and suggested that the administration was functioning under pressure from Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.

“They have no control. They are under pressure from the Governor, who is a BJP man. They are disrespecting Tamil and established practices in Tamil Nadu,” Elangovan said.

Senior DMK leader R.S. Bharathi also criticised the move, claiming the government was disregarding Tamil identity and traditions.

Referring to the state’s long-standing resistance to Hindi imposition and the anti-Hindi agitations that shaped Tamil Nadu politics, Bharathi said the state had consistently protected its linguistic identity for decades.

The controversy is similar to the one that surfaced during Vijay’s own swearing-in ceremony on May 10, when Tamil Thai Vazhthu was played after Vande Mataram and the national anthem.

Earlier, TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna had described the revised sequence as “inappropriate” and maintained that the government intended to restore the earlier practice in future state events.

–IANS

aal/dpb