’Rahul Gandhi Zindabad’ on the swearing-in ceremony, Congress minister in fresh controversy in Tamil Nadu

A political controversy has arisen over the slogan 'Rahul Gandhi Zindabad' of Congress leader S Rajesh Kumar after taking oath as a minister at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Tamil Nadu. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has expressed his displeasure over the incident.

This time, the Congress has historically found a place in the government in Tamil Nadu. After almost six decades, the party has again entered the cabinet in this southern state. Two Congress MLAs have become ministers as partners in the government led by actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay.

Meanwhile, an incident during the swearing-in ceremony has created a new discussion in the political arena. It is learnt that after taking oath as a minister, Congress MLA S. Rajesh Kumar, elected from Kiliur constituency, suddenly started raising slogans in the name of the party's late leader Kamaraj, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

After taking the oath, he said, 'May Kamaraj Amar Rahe', 'Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi Amar Rahe' and 'Long live the people's leader Rahul Gandhi'.

Hearing these slogans, Governor Rajendra Bishwanath Arlekar, who was present on the stage, expressed clear displeasure. He said, this is not part of your oath. Even after this comment by the Governor, a smile was seen on Rajesh Kumar's face. After the video of the incident quickly spread on social media, a political debate started on the issue.

A section of the opposition parties alleged that it was not appropriate to raise party slogans at a serious event like the constitutional oath. On the other hand, Congress supporters claimed that it was an expression of emotion and a moment to pay tribute to the party's historical leaders.

According to political analysts, this incident is not just a slogan debate, but also a reflection of the new political equation in Tamil Nadu. Thalapathy Vijay's party has emerged as a new force in the state, which has been at the center of Dravidian politics for a long time.

Despite getting a majority in the elections, Vijay's party could not reach the required number of seats to form the government on its own. Later, the government was formed with the support of five Congress MLAs and two of the party's leaders were inducted into the cabinet.

According to political observers, this incident is important for the Congress in Tamil Nadu. Because despite being in alliance with the DMK for the last two decades, the party has never got a place in the cabinet. This time, there is natural excitement within the party as it is a partner in the government after a long wait. A section of the Congress believes that S Rajesh Kumar's slogan came from that emotion.

However, the debate has now intensified over the acceptability of political slogans during the constitutional oath-taking ceremony. According to experts, emotional moments or political slogans have been seen in various states of India before.

However, the incident of the Governor directly objecting is not very common. As a result, the tension between the center and the opposition politics has also come to the fore over this incident.