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The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government on Sunday, May 10, clarified that Tamil Thai Vaazhthu will continue to be rendered at the beginning of official government functions in Tamil Nadu, after criticism erupted over the sequence followed during Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony.
At the ceremony held in Chennai and presided over by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Vande Mataram was played first, followed by the National Anthem and then Tamil Thai Vaazhthu.
The change in sequence from Tamil Nadu’s usual practice of rendering Tamil Thai Vaazhthu before the start of an event and the National Anthem at the end drew criticism from allies of the ruling party, including the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).
Responding to the criticism, state Minister Aadhav Arjuna said the TVK-led government remains committed to the long-standing convention of playing Tamil Thai Vaazhthu at the beginning of official functions and the National Anthem at the end.
“In Tamil Nadu, Tamil Thai Vaazhthu is traditionally rendered at the commencement of government functions and the National Anthem at the end. This is the established practice, and the TVK government has no differing opinion on it,” he said in a statement posted on X.
The minister further said that the issue had been raised with the Governor’s office before the ceremony. He said the Governor's office informed the government that it was required to follow a new circular issued by the Union government.
“Only under unavoidable circumstances was Tamil Thai Vaazhthu rendered as the third song. This practice will not continue in the future,” Aadhav said, adding that the existing practice would continue at official functions in Tamil Nadu.
A February 2026 order issued by the Union Home Ministry has made it mandatory for the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ to be played or sung at official functions attended by the President, Governors, and Lieutenant Governors. The order prescribes the “official version” of the song, including all six stanzas of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s original composition, with a fixed duration of three minutes and 10 seconds.
Under the new protocol, ‘Vande Mataram’ must be played on the arrival and departure of the President at official state functions and before and after presidential addresses broadcast on state media such as Akashvani and Doordarshan. Similar rules apply at the state level for functions attended by Governors and Lieutenant Governors.