CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday sought to silence the opposition's criticism over the sequence of the Tamil Thaai Vazhthu and National Anthem at recent official functions, including the Assembly session, citing an event held during the previous DMK regime where the same protocol was followed.
Participating in the Assembly debate, Vijay referred to the August 2, 2021, centenary celebrations of the Tamil Nadu Legislature, during which the then President of India unveiled the portrait of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. He noted that the official programme began with the National Anthem, followed by Tamil Thaai Vazhthu.
The Chief Minister said the National Anthem was rendered twice during the recent Assembly's first session with the Governor's address, once at the commencement and again at the conclusion of the function.
Accusing the DMK of adopting "double standards", Vijay said the party was now criticising the protocol followed during his swearing-in ceremony in May and the Governor's address to the Assembly on June 18, where the National Anthem was played at both the beginning and end of the proceedings and Tamil Thaai Vazhthu did not precede it.
"This has been documented in the official Assembly records," Vijay said, displaying the records in the House to support his claim that a similar practice had been followed during the DMK regime. The Opposition DMK has responded, saying the President's event in question wasn't a regular Assembly session but was only to unveil the portrait of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, and claiming that a comparison to the recent maiden session of the House is wrong.