I apologise on his behalf: CM Vijay after minister names Karunanidhi without title

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay apologised in the Assembly after a minister referred to M Karunanidhi without honorifics. The intervention calmed DMK protests and underscored Tamil Nadu's strict legislative decorum.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay intervenes, apologises after minister’s Karunanidhi remark triggers uproarTamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay apologised in the Assembly on Monday after a minister referred to former chief minister M Karunanidhi directly by name, without using the customary honorifics. The remark triggered immediate protests from the opposition DMK over what it called a breach of decorum.Vijay stepped in quickly to calm the House and said the manner in which the late leader had been addressed was wrong. "I apologise on his behalf," Vijay said, after Forest Minister R V Ranjith Kumar mentioned Karunanidhi without using terms such as "Kalaignar" or "former Chief Minister".The issue arose during a debate on the demands for grants for the Health and Revenue departments. In his speech, Ranjith Kumar criticised earlier cash-for-votes practices, referred to the controversial "Thirumangalam formula", and claimed that in previous elections, up to Rs 1,500 per vote had been distributed in his Kancheepuram constituency.Contrasting those elections with the present administration, the minister said the current government had come to power without distributing money for votes. However, while listing what he described as poll tactics of the past, he referred to the DMK patriarch simply as "Karunanidhi". This went against a long-standing convention in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, where respected leaders are addressed with formal protocol titles. The omission drew loud protests from DMK members, led by former minister K K S S R Ramachandran. As tensions rose, Vijay stopped the minister mid-speech and acknowledged that referring to Karunanidhi in that manner was inappropriate. His apology ended the immediate disruption and brought the debate back on track.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 17, 2026 23:50 IST