Vande Mataram Echoes At Vijay's Oath Ceremony In Tamil Nadu Amid Centre's Push For Equal Status With National Anthem; Skipped At Suvendu Adhikari's Event
TVK chief C. Joseph Vijay took oath as Tamil Nadu CM at Chennai's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on May 10. Vande Mataram was played before the national anthem amid the Centre's push to grant it equal legal status with Jana Gana Mana. Notably, the song was absent during Suvendu Adhikari's oath ceremony in Kolkata, attended by PM Narendra Modi and BJP leaders.
Tamil Nadu: C. Joseph Vijay scripted a historic political milestone as he took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at Chennai's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday, May 10, marking the beginning of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) first government in the state.
The swearing-in ceremony drew attention, as Vande Mataram was played before the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. At the event, Vande Mataram was played first, followed by National Anthem Jana Gana Mana and then Tamil thai Vazhthu. The playing of 'Vande Mataram' at the oath taking drew significance as the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had approved a proposal to grant the song the same legal status as the national anthem.
Once implemented, the law will treat Vande Mataram on par with the national anthem, meaning any intentional disruption during its singing, acts of disrespect or insult could invite up to three years of imprisonment, a fine, or both. Repeat offences may carry stricter penalties, including a minimum one-year sentence.
No Vande Mataram At Bengal Swearing-In
The move to grant Vande Mataram the same legal status as Jana Gana Mana came in the wake of BJP's electoral success in West Bengal. Even during the West Bengal Assembly elections, Vande Mataram had emerged as a major political theme and was frequently invoked in campaign speeches and rallies. However, Vande Mataram was not played during Suvendu Adhikari's oath-taking ceremony at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground on May 9, which was attended by PM Modi and several other BJP leaders.
Actor Vijay's Oath-Taking Ceremony
The oath was administered by Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in the presence of LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Vijay's parents, actress Trisha Krishna, among others. Apart from Vijay, nine other TVK leaders, including N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, KG Arunraj, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, TK Prabhu and S Keerthana, also took oath as ministers in his cabinet.
TVK secured the support of 120 MLAs, crossing the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. The party also received backing from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, and the Indian Union Muslim League.
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