CHENNAI: Suryaa Raaja Baalu, son of Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa, drew attention at the 51st State Shooting Games when he declined to let former BJP state president K Annamalai place a medal around his neck, choosing instead to receive it by hand.

The moment was captured on video and quickly spread across social media platforms.

Annamalai, who attended as the chief guest, had been awarding medals to winners during the ceremony when the incident occurred.

Earlier, PhD scholar Jean Joseph had refused to receive her degree from Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi at the 32nd convocation of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli.

Reacting to Joseph's protest, Annamalai had criticised the act as a deplorable drama staged by DMK members to gain attention and said it amounted to bringing low-grade politics into schools and universities.