Tamil Nadu anthem played after Vande Mataram at Vijay's oath invites CPI's ire

The order of songs at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's swearing-in has triggered a protest from the CPI. The party says Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu must be given precedence and wants the government to explain the decision.

In Short

• Ceremony opened with Vande Mataram and ended with Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu
• CPI said state functions must start with the Tamil state invocation
• He argued Vande Mataram carries religious overtones

A controversy has erupted in Tamil Nadu just hours after actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay took oath as the state’s Chief Minister. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has objected to the order in which songs were played during the ceremony in Chennai, alleging that Tamil Nadu's state anthem was not given precedence.

The swearing-in ceremony on Sunday began with the National Song “Vande Mataram”, followed by the National Anthem “Jana Gana Mana”, and concluded with the state invocation, “Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu”.

In a statement, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian said “Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu” must be accorded the foremost place in the protocol of government functions.

“Government ceremonies in Tamil Nadu traditionally begin with "Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu" and end with the national anthem,” he said.

Veerapandian also objected to the playing of “Vande Mataram”, arguing that the song is associated with a specific deity and carries religious overtones.

“The decision, allegedly taken under the directives of Lok Bhavan, to accord primacy to ‘Vande Mataram’ while placing the Tamil invocation third in the swearing-in ceremony amounts to a violation of established tradition,” he alleged.

Notably, the full six-stanza version of “Vande Mataram” was played at Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony in line with a January 2026 directive issued by the Union Home Ministry.

Veerapandian said the Tamil Nadu government must publicly clarify who was responsible for the decision. He also urged the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government to restore “Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu” to its “rightful place” and ensure such an incident is not repeated.

Meanwhile, Sunday's grand oath-taking ceremony followed four days of suspense over government formation, after the TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats but fell short of a majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Later, Vijay secured support from the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI, CPI(M) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), taking the TVK's tally to 120 and crossing the majority mark of 118 to form the government.

- Ends