What’s the row over Vande Mataram at Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony?

After days of back-and-forth negotiations, C Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettru Kazhagam (TVK) finally formed the government on Sunday (May 10). The actor-turned politician took the oath as the Tamil Nadu chief minister.

Shortly after that, TVK and DMK came into loggerheads over the sequence of songs played at the oath-ceremony programme, asking why the Tamil state song 'Thamizhthai Vaazhthu' was played at the end, while Vande Mataram and the national anthem were played before.

The opposition in the state even accused Vijay of going towards the BJP.

What's the controversy?

Vijay's swearing-in ceremony started with the singing of Vande Mataram, followed by the national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana' and then Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu. The Tamil anthem was pushed to third place.

The sequence of the songs in the programme was in line with a January directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which said that during the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, all six stanzas of the composition by Bengali poet Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay should be sung first when the national song and the national anthem are performed together.

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However, according to reports, at government events, Tamil Thaai Vaazthu is rendered at the beginning and the national anthem at the end.

Though TVK clarified that the music was at the Governor's call, since the oath ceremony took place at the Raj Bhavan. But DMK refused to relent, saying that it reflects the TVK's bent towards the BJP.

At one point, even Vijay's allies, CPM, CPI and the VCK, as well as MDMK, also demanded an explanation, noting that such a lapse must not be repeated.

How has the opposition reacted?

DMK's TKS Elangovan asserted, "The practice here is to play the Tamil anthem first, the national anthem at the end. This time, the Governor wants Vande Mataram to be sung first and then the Tamil anthem... that is not the practice. This shows that Vijay is going towards the BJP. We will take this to the people."

CPI Secretary M Veerapandiyan issued a letter, objecting to the order in which songs were played at the event, according to a Times of India (TOI) report.

Veerapandiyan expressed concern: "It amounts to a violation of established convention. The Tamil Nadu government must explain to the public who was responsible for this lapse".

S Ramadoss, in a statement, urged the newly formed state government to accord appropriate importance to Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu at all official events and functions.

Meanwhile, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan also strongly condemned the incident.

The post-election political deadlock in the state neared conclusion on May 10, with Vijay’s camp moving ahead with the backing of Congress, the Left parties, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and forming a government.

The political arithmetic placed the TVK-led bloc above the halfway mark of 118 seats required to form the government.

With inputs from agencies