TIRUCHY: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s decision to take oath 'aandavan meethu' (in the name of God) at his swearing-in ceremony on Sunday has triggered political discussion in Tamil Nadu, with many drawing comparisons to the DMK leaders who preferred swearing 'ulamaraa' (by conscience) in keeping with the Dravidian movement’s rationalist legacy.
The contrast was immediately noted against former CM MK Stalin, who had taken oath “by my conscience” in 2021. Most ministers in the new TVK cabinet also invoked God during the ceremony. However, minister Aadhav Arjuna affirmed his oath by conscience, while minister Rajmohan Arumugam invoked God but gestured towards Vijay during the oath-taking.
Political observers noted that former CM MG Ramachandran, despite being widely regarded as a believer, had also taken oath by conscience. Invoking God during swearing-in ceremonies became more common under former CM J Jayalalithaa and later AIADMK governments led by O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami. In contrast, DMK leaders from CN Annadurai to M Karunanidhi consistently chose the ulamaraa affirmation, reflecting the atheistic and rationalist ideals associated with the Dravidian movement.
Suba Veerapandian, president of the Dravida Iyakka Tamilar Peravai, said leaders were free to take oath based on personal belief. “Even MGR, despite being a believer, took oath by conscience. We are still unable to clearly place Vijay ideologically, even though he has referred to Periyar as an ideological guide” he said.
Defending Vijay’s approach, Srirangam TVK MLA S Ramesh said the party respects freedom of religious belief while remaining mindful that such expressions should not hurt others. “Our leader treats all religions equally,” he said.
When a BJP leader invoked CM C Joseph Vijay’s religion
C Joseph Vijay, widely known as ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay among fans, began prominently using his full name after BJP leader H Raja invoked his religion during a controversy in 2017.
Raja had shared a copy of Vijay’s voter ID card on social media with the caption, “Truth is bitter,” insinuating that dialogues against the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the film Mersal were influenced by the actor’s religion. The remark drew severe criticism from across the political spectrum and the film industry.
Following the controversy, Vijay increasingly began using his full name, C Joseph Vijay, in public appearances. Many of his fans also rallied behind him, with several adding “Joseph” to their names on social media in a show of support.
