Tamil Nadu CM Vijay apologises after minister mentions ex-CM Karunanidhi by name

Tamil Nadu forest minister RV Ranjith Kumar's reference to the DMK stalwart as “Karunanidhi” sparked immediate objections from opposition DMK members.

Updated on: Aug 18, 2026, 08:19:16 IST

By HT News Desk

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Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay apologised in the assembly on Monday after a minister referred to former CM M Karunanidhi by name without using the customary honorific.

Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay stepped in to de-escalate the situation. (ANI)

"I apologise on his behalf," Vijay said, bringing the tension in the assembly to an end.

Karunanidhi referred to without title

Tamil Nadu forest minister RV Ranjith Kumar's reference to the DMK stalwart as "Karunanidhi", without the customary use of "Kalaignar" (scholar) or “former chief minister”, sparked immediate objections from opposition DMK members.

The controversy arose during a debate on the demands for grants for the health and revenue departments. Kumar was speaking about past cash-for-votes practices and referred to the "Thirumangalam formula".

He claimed that voters in his Kancheepuram constituency had received up to ₹1,500 per vote in earlier elections.

The minister then compared those elections with the current administration, saying the present government had come to power without giving voters money in exchange for their votes.

While referring to different election strategies, Kumar mentioned DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi only by his name. He did not use the customary terms "Kalaignar" or "former chief minister".

The reference went against the established practice in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, where respected leaders are generally addressed by formal titles. DMK members immediately raised strong objections, with former minister KKSSR Ramachandran leading the protests.

CM Vijay intervenes, apologises

As the objections grew, Vijay stepped in to de-escalate the situation. He stopped the minister while the minister was speaking and said that referring to the late leader in that manner was inappropriate.

He also apologised on behalf of the minister. "I apologise on his behalf," Vijay said.

With inputs from agencies

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