Tamil Nadu minister stripped of portfolio over ‘casteist’ remark

Welfare of Backward Classes, the Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities department held by Sivasankar has been allocated to Rajakannappan and he is re-designated as Minister for Backward Classes Welfare.

Tamil Nadu Minister R S Rajakannappan was on Tuesday divested of his transport portfolio after an official alleged that the minister used a casteist slur against him.

On the recommendations of Chief Minister M K Stalin, the portfolios of transport, nationalised transport and Motor Vehicles Act held by Rajakannappan would now be handled by Minister S S Sivasankar, a Raj Bhavan release said. (HT)

On the recommendations of Chief Minister M K Stalin, the portfolios of transport, nationalised transport and Motor Vehicles Act held by Rajakannappan would now be handled by Minister S S Sivasankar, a Raj Bhavan release said. Welfare of Backward Classes, the Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities department held by Sivasankar has been allocated to Rajakannappan and he is re-designated as Minister for Backward Classes Welfare.

The divestment of the portfolio, the first after the DMK assumed power in May 2021 assumes significance since the ruling party (unlike the previous AIADMK regimes) does not generally resort to it barring exceptions.

The move is a sequence to an allegation made by a Block Development Officer belonging to Ramanathapuram District. He had alleged that Rajakannappan had on March 27 rebuked him using caste name.