Chennai: The ‘Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu’ was played after ‘Vande Mataram’ and the national anthem during the swearing-in of Tamil Nadu ministers on Thursday, reigniting the debate over the sequence in which it should be played.
Political Reactions
DMK MP Kanimozhi criticized the government for relegating the ‘Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu’ to the third position. In a post on X, she said, “When ‘Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu’ was similarly denied priority and insulted last time, the TVK government had said that this would not happen again. Why is the government now remaining silent despite seeing it happen again?”
DMK organizational secretary R S Bharathi also condemned the move. “This is an indication that Tamil Nadu would be pushed backwards,” he said.
Government's Explanation
School Education Minister Rajmohan stated that he had requested Lok Bhavan to play ‘Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu’ first. “But they said since it was a Lok Bhavan event, orders of the Union government would be followed,” he explained.
Allies' Views
CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the party raised the issue with Chief Minister Vijay. “He told us that efforts were made to change the sequence, but the governor refused, citing a February 2026 Union government order,” Shanmugam said.
CPI state secretary M Veerapandian urged the governor to respect the sentiments of the Tamil people. “We are not against Indian national songs. We hold the national anthem in high regard. But priority should be given to Tamil; we urge him to think deeply about that,” he told reporters on Thursday.
