Row over Tamil Nadu state song at ministers’ oath event.

A fresh political controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu after organisers played the state song, Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, after Vande Mataram and the national anthem during the swearing-in ceremony of newly inducted ministers at Lok Bhavan on Thursday. Left parties objected to the sequence, saying the Tamil invocation song should not follow the national songs. A similar row had surfaced during chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s oath-taking ceremony on May 10.

Reacting to the controversy, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian said Tamil people’s sentiments must be respected and the Tamil anthem should receive priority at official events. He clarified that the party respected both Vande Mataram and the national anthem, but opposed the sequence followed at the ceremony. He also urged the Governor to ensure authorities follow established state practices at future government functions.

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Tamil anthem row sparks political reactions

CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam said the party had already raised the issue with the chief minister, who reportedly maintained that organisers would play Vande Mataram first at events attended by the Governor. Veerapandian also questioned the status of Vande Mataram, arguing that authorities did not adopt it as the national anthem because of its sectarian religious character. The Left parties maintained that they objected only to the order of rendition and not to the songs themselves.

The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam distanced itself from the row, with minister Aadhav Arjuna saying the party did not support playing the Tamil invocation song third. He said party leaders raised the matter with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, whose office cited a Union government circular to justify the sequence. Arjuna called the arrangement inappropriate for Tamil Nadu and said organisers would restore the earlier practice of playing the Tamil anthem at the beginning and the national anthem at the end of future events.

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