The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly witnessed heated moments on Monday when Forest Minister R. V. Ranjit Kumar referred to late former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi without using his traditional honorific title. Taking swift action to prevent further disruption, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay intervened during fierce opposition protests and tendered an unreserved apology on behalf of his minister.
Outrage Over Assembly Protocol
The controversy erupted during a parliamentary debate regarding grant demands allocated for the Health and Revenue departments. While addressing the assembly, Forest Minister R. V. Ranjit Kumar mentioned the former Chief Minister directly as Karunanidhi, omitting both the term 'former Chief Minister' and the traditional honorific 'Kalaignar', which translates to scholar. Standard parliamentary convention in Tamil Nadu mandates that any reference to the late DMK patriarch in the house must include the honorific title. This omission triggered immediate and sharp objections from opposition DMK members.
Chief Minister Steps In
As noise and protests from opposition benches threatened to derail the legislative proceedings, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay stepped in to restore order. Acknowledging that addressing the deceased leader in such an unceremonious manner was improper, the Chief Minister accepted the lapse and explicitly expressed regret before the Assembly, stating that he apologized on behalf of the minister.
Remarks on Past Election Practices
The minister's controversial reference occurred while he was delivering a critical speech against past electoral practices and money power in elections. Highlighting past voting strategies, Minister Ranjit Kumar cited the infamous Thirumangalam formula and alleged that previous elections saw cash distribution reaching up to 1,500 rupees per vote within his Kanchipuram Assembly constituency. He defended his party, asserting that TVK secured power without resorting to cash distribution, unlike previous administrations that relied on financial influence to win office.
