Yet another row over Tamil anthem, this time at Udhayanidhi's event

A controversy related to singing of Tamil Nadu's state song Tamil Thai Valthu has emerged again, this time in an official event chaired by deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in Chennai on Friday.

IMAGE: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin pays floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on Gandhi Jayanti, in Chennai as state deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin looks on, October 2, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo/span>

While leaders alleged wrongful rendition of the Tamil anthem and BJP said mother Tamil has taught the Dy CM a 'lesson', Udhayanidhi dismissed such claims and asserted the microphone did not function properly and that it was a technical fault.

"It was not sung wrongly," he said.

The event held at the Secretariat was on the TN Chief Minister's Fellowship Programme, under which 19 trainees of the first batch were given certificates on course (Public policy and management) completion.

Union Minister and BJP leader L Murugan said the Tamil anthem, when it was sung for the first time, had flaws. In a statement, he alleged that for the second time too, when it was sung from the beginning, the rendition was wrong.

"On the whole, in the event, Tamil Thai Valthu was not sung in the right manner," he said adding it was sung for the second time since the rendition for the first time was flawed.

Murugan recalled the recent row after a line from Tamil anthem was missed by singers in a Doordarshan Tamil event presided by Governor RN Ravi and the apology from the national broadcaster.

Still, the minister alleged Chief Minister MK Stalin and deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin 'did cheap politics,' over the issue. The CM had demanded the recall of Governor by the Centre and levelled allegations against Ravi.

The minister wondered 'what will be the chief minister's reply now.'

He asked whether Udhayanidhi will resign from his post or if he will be dropped from the cabinet by CM Stalin.

He also wanted to know if the CM and his deputy will not own up responsibility for the state government held event when they had blamed the Governor for the DD event.

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief TTV Dhinakaran expressed shock over what he called wrongful rendition twice.

The AMMK leader said the faux pas has exposed the DMK regime's deceitful drama over its devotion to Tamil language.

Dhinakaran asked 'what will be the answer of the chief minister and dy CM,' for the wrongful rendition as the duo had attacked the governor over a similar situation.

Udhayanidhi, answering a question on the alleged gaffe by the singers, told reporters that the song was not sung wrongly.

He said that it was only a technical fault, and the mic did not function properly. Hence, the voice could not be heard properly two to three times during the song's rendition.

Hence the Tamil anthem was sung again from the beginning and the national anthem was also sung properly.
"Do not unnecessarily create trouble," the Dy CM told journalists, which BJP leader Murugan termed evasive.
The union minister said CM and Dy CM should realise at least now that they had done politics by magnifying the DD event in which governor Ravi had participated.

In a post on 'x,' Tamil Nadu BJP said mother Tamil has taught Udhayanidhi Stalin a lesson.

The state song was sung by government employees in the event and going by a purported video clip of the function available in social media, mistakes could be noticed at least twice. It is, broadly, mispronunciation of a word and flawed replacement of another word.