Guv halts TN Congress minister for hailing Rahul Gandhi at swearing-in: ‘Not part of oath’

May 21 remained witness to dramatic developments in Tamil Nadu politics. As the Congress returned to power as part of the Vijay-led government which saw an expansion of the cabinet on Thursday, marking a clear occasion for the party to rejoice the moment, a controversy also erupted.

As S Rajesh Kumar took oath as the tourism minister at the Lok Bhavan in Chennai, he suddenly hailed Congress leaders K Kamaraj, Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, which saw Governor Rajendra Arlekar objecting to, saying “that is not part of your oath”.

It may be mentioned here that Thursday marked the 35th death anniversary of former prime minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated by a suicide bomber in Tamil Nadu in 1991.

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An official immediately went to Kumar and showed him the written statement kept before him. The Kiliyoor MLA then completed the oath.

However, Arlekar and Kumar exchanged smiles as the incident happened.

Two Congress members take oath as ministers

The Congress, which backed the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of Chief Minister Vijay after the latter failed to get a majority on its own in the April 23 state elections, snapping its ties with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), its old ally in the state.

Kumar’s swearing-in also meant that the Grand-Old Party saw two of its members taking oath in the state government after nearly six decades.

Besides Kumar, Thiru P Vishwanathan took oath as the state’s higher education minister.

The party last held governance in Tamil Nadu (then Madras State) in 1967, when M Bhaktavatsalam served as its last chief minister in the state. During its days in alliance with the DMK, the Congress was never in governance.

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The Congress won five seats in the recent polls.

On Thursday, Vijay expanded his cabinet to include 21 TVK besides the two Congress MLAs. An Indian Union Muslim League MLA is scheduled to take oath as minister on Friday (May 22). Vijay himself took the oath on May 10, besides nine TVK members as ministers. The grand ceremony in Chennai was attended by Rahul Gandhi.

However, it was not only Rajesh who hailed his party leaders at Thursday’s swearing-in. A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban, a TVK legislator from Salem South, hailed Vijay after taking the oath, saying, “vaazhga thalaivar, valarga Tamil (long live the leader, may Tamil prosper)”.

(With agency inputs)