Reversing a previous AIADMK government's decision, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Saturday said the state's formation day will now be celebrated on July 18, in line with the rechristening of its name to the present one and not on November 1.
Chief Minister M K Stalin's announcement on the changed date drew criticism from the AIADMK, which alleged that the ruling party changed the date due to "political vendetta."
Back in 2019, it was K Palaniswami, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who had announced that the Tamil Nadu Day will be observed on November 1, following requests from various quarters.
On Saturday, chief minister MK Stalin said that on November 1, 1956, Linguistic Reorganisation of States was done in the country following which parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala "went away" from the then Madras State.
Subsequently, the previous government had announced November 1 from 2019 as Tamil Nadu Day, he recalled.
However, various sections including political parties, Tamil scholars, activists and associations have been insisting that November 1 would only signify the "border struggle" and that it would not be appropriate to celebrate the day as Tamil Nadu Day, he said in a statement.
These scholars had suggested that July 18-- when Tamil Nadu got its present name following an Assembly legislation heralded by Dravidian veteran and late chief minister CN Annadurai, should be the day to be celebrated as the state's formation day, he added.
"After carefully considering the pleas of various organisations, a Government Order will soon be issued to celebrate July 18 as Tamil Nadu day, when the state was named as Tamil Nadu by Anna," as the state's formation day, the CM added.
Further, as a special gesture, 110 people involved in the "border struggle" will be honoured with Rs one lakh each on November 1, he said.
The opposition AIADMK lashed out at the government's decision to change the state's formation day celebrations.
Just because Palaniswami had announced that November 1 will be celebrated as Tamil Nadu Day, "I condemn portraying history according to your convenience (due to) political vendetta," AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said in a tweet, tagging Stalin and top party leaders O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami.