The order of anthems at C. Joseph Vijay's swearing-in as Tamil Nadu chief minister on May 10 has triggered a political controversy, with allies and opposition parties protesting the placement of the state anthem after the national song and anthem.
C. Joseph Vijay took the oath as Tamil Nadu chief minister on Sunday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath. The ceremony began with Vande Mataram followed by Jana Gana Mana, with the state anthem Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu placed third.
CPI state secretary M Veerapandian criticised the decision, saying the state anthem has traditionally opened government events and should receive its due place. PMK founder S Ramadoss and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan also condemned the move as disrespectful to Tamil identity and culture.
TVK minister Aadhav Arjun clarified that the arrangement followed a new central government circular. He assured that future official programmes would revert to the tradition of starting with Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu and ending with the national anthem.
