Overview
- At C. Joseph Vijay’s swearing-in in Chennai on Sunday, organisers played Vande Mataram first, then the national anthem, and Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu third, breaking the state’s usual order.
- Minister Aadhav Arjuna said the TVK government rejects the change and will restore the practice of beginning state events with the Tamil invocation and ending with the national anthem.
- TVK leaders said Raj Bhavan cited a February 2026 Union Home Ministry circular that requires Vande Mataram at functions with governors and lays out an official version and timing.
- Allies including the CPI and VCK criticized the sequence and asked Vijay to explain how the lapse occurred, calling the move a violation of established convention.
- The dispute taps a long-running debate over identity and ceremony in Tamil Nadu and could fuel fresh tests of central rules at future state functions.