Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay revoked the appointment of astrologer Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty this Wednesday.
The decision follows a swift political firestorm in Tamil Nadu, where opposition parties and some government allies said that appointing a spiritual advisor to a formal state role violated the principles of secularism.
Vettrivel had been appointed as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Chief Minister. However, the appointment was revoked within 24 hours [1] following widespread criticism from political opponents.
The controversy centered on whether a government position should be held by an individual whose primary professional identity is rooted in astrology. Critics said the move set a problematic precedent for the administration's governance and its commitment to a secular state.
While reports from some outlets indicated the role was terminated quickly, the TVK party later issued a clarification regarding the nature of the OSD role [3]. This clarification followed the initial wave of backlash from the opposition.
The rapid reversal suggests a sensitivity within the TVK-led government to perceptions of religious or spiritual influence in official state administration. The move reflects the volatile nature of political appointments in Chennai, where the intersection of personal belief and public office often triggers intense scrutiny.
“The appointment was revoked within 24 hours.”
This incident highlights the tension between the personal convictions of leadership and the constitutional requirement of secularism in Indian governance. By reversing the appointment so quickly, the Chief Minister's office attempted to neutralize a political liability that could have alienated key allies and provided the opposition with a potent narrative of religious interference in state affairs.
