The newly sworn-in Tamil Nadu government led by actor-turned-politician Vijay found itself at the centre of a political controversy shortly after the oath-taking ceremony, as the Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) objected to the order in which songs were played during the event.
The controversy erupted after “Vande Mataram” was played before the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana” and the Tamil state anthem “Thamizhthai Vaazhthu” during the ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan.
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The DMK alleged that the Tamil state song should have been accorded priority and accused the new government of disrespecting Tamil identity by placing “Thamizhthai Vaazhthu” third in the sequence.
Several allies of Vijay’s ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) also reportedly sought an explanation over the issue, stating that such an oversight should not recur in official state functions.
Responding to the criticism, the TVK clarified that the sequence of songs was decided by the Governor’s office, as the swearing-in ceremony was conducted at the Raj Bhavan. However, the DMK remained unconvinced and intensified its attack on the new administration.
The Opposition party, which strongly campaigned on the protection of the Tamil language and opposed what it called the imposition of Hindi during the election campaign, alleged that the incident reflected the TVK government’s growing proximity to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Vijay-led government has projected itself as a secular administration, a point the new Chief Minister highlighted during his address following the oath ceremony. However, the row over the song sequence has already sparked a fresh political confrontation between the ruling party and the Opposition within hours of the new government taking office.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
