CM Vijay Apologises After Minister Names Karunanidhi

The incident took place during the debate in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the opposition DMK objected to it immediately. CM Vijay intervened and apologised on behalf of the minister. Vijay said, a gesture that brought the dispute to a close. “I apologise on his behalf,” Vijay said at the end of the situation.

Minister's Reference to Karunanidhi Sparks Row

The controversy began when Tamil Nadu Forest Minister RV Ranjith Kumar referred to the late DMK leader simply as “Karunanidhi”.

DMK members objected because the minister did not use the customary terms like “Kalaignar”, meaning scholar, or “former Chief Minister” when talking about the veteran leader.

In the Tamil Nadu Assembly, senior and respected political leaders are usually referred to with titles or honorifics. The use of Karunanidhi's name without such a title was seen as inappropriate by DMK members.The argument quickly grew louder, and the Assembly was heated.

The debate took place over past election practices.

The issue was brought to the Assembly when it was discussing requests for grants that were related to health and revenue departments.

Ranjith Kumar talked about the alleged cash-for-votes practices in previous elections and touched on the widely discussed ‘Thirumangalam formula’ in his speech.He alleged voters in his Kancheepuram constituency had received up to ₹1,500 per vote during earlier elections.

The minister compared those past elections with the current government and said that the present administration came to power without giving money to voters in exchange for their votes.

When Kumar was discussing different election strategies and political practices, he only referred to M Karunanidhi by name. He did not use “Kalaignar” or “former Chief Minister,” which immediately triggered protests from DMK legislators.

DMK Members Raise Strong Objections

Opposition DMK members strongly objected to the minister's words. Former minister KKSSR Ramachandran was among those who led the protests inside the Assembly.

The members said that Assembly practices should be followed while referring to a former Chief Minister and a respected political leader.The debate was tense during the discussion, as objections continued while the minister was speaking.

CM Vijay Steps In to Defuse the Situation

As the protests got worse, Chief Minister Vijay intervened to calm the situation down.He stopped the minister and made it clear that referring to the late leader in that manner was inappropriate. Vijay then apologised for the minister and said, “I apologise on his behalf.”

His intervention helped bring the situation under control and ended the immediate confrontation in the Assembly.The incident highlighted the importance given to formal titles and customary respect when talking to senior political leaders in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.