Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday apologised in the state Assembly after a minister addressed former CM M Karunanidhi directly by name, without using respectful titles. The remark made by the minister immediately triggered a response and protests from DMK leaders, who called it a breach of decorum.
Seeing escalating tension in the Assembly, CM Vijay stepped in by stating it was wrong to address the late leader that way.
“I apologise on his behalf,” the 52-year-old actor-politician said, after Forest Minister RV Ranjith Kumar mentioned Karunanidhi without using terms such as “Kalaignar” or “former Chief Minister.”
This happened when leaders were debating the demands for grants for the Health and Revenue departments. In his speech. Ranjith Kumar slammed the previous government’s cash-for-votes practices, referred to “Thir umangalam formula”, claiming that up to Rs 1,500 per vote has been given in his Kancheepuram constituency.
Contrasting past elections with the current government, the minister said they came to power without paying for votes.
However, he called the DMK patriarch directly as “Karunanidhi”. This act by the minister broke a long-held Tamil Nadu Assembly tradition of addressing veteran leaders using formal protocol titles.
This drew an aggressive reaction and loud protests from DMK leaders, led by former minister KKSSR Ramachandran. Amid the escalating tension, CM Vijay stepped in and said that addressing Karunanidhi in that manner was inappropriate.
However, CM Vijay’s immediate apology ended the protest and brought the debate back on track.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announced an expanded crop-loan waiver scheme in the State Legislative Assembly, pushing the total financial assistance to Rs 6,220 crore and benefiting 13.34 lakh farmers across the state.
Emphasising his government’s commitment to rural livelihoods as it approaches the 100-day milestone, the Chief Minister reiterated that agricultural welfare remains the core priority of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) administration.
Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister said, “If the people of Tamil Nadu are our life, then farmers are our lifeline… Protecting the livelihoods of farmers, reducing their debt burden and strengthening agriculture are among the foremost responsibilities of this government.”
(with ANI inputs)
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