CHENNAI: Questions over the falsification of academic credentials and the use of honorary titles have surfaced regarding several first-time MLAs of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), with discrepancies emerging between election affidavits and the qualifications projected in campaign material and on social media platforms.
The controversy centres on the growing misuse of paid honorary doctorates and inflated educational claims, with critics alleging that some legislators have used the "Dr" prefix and unverified qualifications despite lacking recognised academic credentials.
The issue gained attention after a series of social media posts by users and public figures highlighted inconsistencies involving multiple TVK legislators. The debate follows an earlier investigation of DT Next into unrecognised institutions allegedly selling honorary doctorates for amounts ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 45,000 through ceremonial events and private functions.
Among those facing scrutiny is Kavundampalayam MLA Kanimozhi Santhosh, who has been accused of using the "Dr" prefix despite her election affidavit showing that she had completed only a Bachelor of Arts in Law (Hons) and held no doctoral qualification.
Virudhunagar MLA S P Selvam has also come under criticism for using the "Dr" title. His affidavit states that he completed only a Diploma in Civil Engineering (DCE), while posters and campaign material projected him as "Dr Selvam".
Polur MLA R Abhishek has also drawn attention after social media profiles described him as "MS, MBA". However, his election affidavit mentions only an integrated Master of Software Engineering degree from VIT Chennai and contains no MBA qualification.
Similarly, Tambaram MLA D. Sarath Kumar had allegedly publicly projected himself as an MBA graduate. But his election affidavit mentioned only a BBA degree from AM Jain College, Chennai (listed as MM Jain College). Online posts claiming he possessed an MBA degree were described as false.
Kumarapalayam MLA C Vijayalakshmi too faced questions after campaign vehicles and publicity material referred to her as a BCom graduate, while her affidavit stated that she had studied only up to Class XII. Her supporters said that though she had pursued BCom, she had not completed the degree, making the projection of her as a graduate misleading.
Similar discrepancies were flagged in the cases of Avadi MLA R Ramesh Kumar, who allegedly used the "Dr" prefix despite holding only a BA degree, and Ambattur MLA G Balamurugan also came under scrutiny after campaign posters allegedly attributed technical diploma qualifications to him, while his affidavit mentioned only SSLC and an ADCA computer certification course.
Social and behavioural science researcher A Shankar Prakash, who has repeatedly raised concerns over fake honorary doctorates, said the issue could not be dismissed as a harmless trend.
"The sale of fake honorary doctorates is not a small matter. Politicians who buy these titles from unrecognised institutions are not just innocent recipients of an honour. They are willing partners in misleading the public," he said.
He further alleged that unrecognised bodies routinely organise ceremonial events at which honorary titles are distributed in exchange for money, after which recipients prominently use the "Dr" prefix on posters, banners and social media profiles.
"The qualifications declared in affidavits do not match what is projected publicly in several cases. If public life has to be transparent, political parties must ensure their legislators are honest about their credentials," he added.
The controversy has now placed the spotlight on TVK president and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who has repeatedly spoken about transparency and integrity in politics.
Party workers said the candidate selection process had been handled under severe time pressure, with the final shortlist undergoing multiple changes until hours before the official announcement.
"Even till the last minute, there were changes in the list. We were focused on identifying strong candidates and did not have enough time to independently verify every public claim. However, all candidates disclosed their qualifications in their election affidavits," a senior leader told DT Next.