Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay apologised in the state Assembly on Monday after one of his ministers referred to former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi directly by name without using the customary honorifics. The remark led to strong protests from opposition DMK members.
Vijay quickly stepped in to calm the situation and admitted that the way the late DMK leader was addressed was not appropriate.
“I apologise on his behalf,” Vijay said after Forest Minister RV Ranjith Kumar referred to the former Chief Minister simply as “Karunanidhi”.
What Happened in the Assembly?
The incident took place during a debate on demands for grants for the Health and Revenue departments.
During his speech, Ranjith Kumar criticised alleged cash-for-votes practices in earlier elections. He also referred to the controversial “Thirumangalam formula” and claimed that up to Rs 1,500 per vote had been distributed in his Kancheepuram constituency during previous elections.
The minister compared those elections with the present government and said the current administration had come to power without distributing money to voters.
However, while talking about past election practices, Ranjith Kumar referred to the former Chief Minister simply as “Karunanidhi”.
DMK Members Protest
The remark immediately drew protests from DMK members. Former minister KKSSR Ramachandran and other party members objected to the way Karunanidhi had been addressed.
According to the customary practice in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, respected political leaders are generally addressed using formal titles or honorifics. In Karunanidhi’s case, terms such as “Kalaignar” or “former Chief Minister” are commonly used.
As the protests grew louder, Chief Minister Vijay stopped the minister during his speech.
Vijay Apologises, Debate Resumes
Vijay acknowledged that referring to Karunanidhi in that manner was wrong and apologised on behalf of his minister.
His intervention helped calm the situation in the House. Following the apology, the disruption ended and the Assembly returned to the ongoing debate.
