Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who administered the oath of office to ministers during the TVK Cabinet expansion on Thursday, reportedly asked Congress leader S Rajesh Kumar to stick to the written oath after he deviated from it. Arlekar instructed Kumar to confine himself to the written oath after the Congress leader raised slogans praising his party leaders during the ceremony.
Deviation from the Oath
Kumar, the Congress Legislature Party leader from the Killiyoor constituency in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, was among the 23 MLAs inducted into the C. Joseph Vijay-led Cabinet, including 21 from TVK. During the oath-taking ceremony as state ministers at Lok Bhavan, Kumar, while reading from the official text, suddenly hailed Congress leaders K. Kamaraj, Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, prompting Governor Arlekar to intervene and remark, “that is not part of your oath.” An official immediately stepped in and pointed to the written oath placed before him. Kumar then proceeded to complete the oath as prescribed.
Other Incidents During the Ceremony
Minutes later, TVK legislator from Salem South, A. Vijay Tamilan Parthiban, after taking oath as minister, hailed party leader and chief minister C. Joseph Vijay, who was present on the dais, saying, “Vaazhga thalaivar, valarga Tamil” (long live the leader, may Tamil prosper). Another TVK member from Sriperumbudur, Thennarasu, concluded his oath by expressing loyalty to the party leader and the party.
This incident highlights the strict adherence to protocol during government ceremonies, with the governor ensuring that the oath is taken as prescribed by law. The expansion of the TVK Cabinet marks a significant political development in Tamil Nadu, with 23 new ministers taking office.
