Tamil Nadu govt revokes astrologer’s appointment as OSD to CM Vijay

The Tamil Nadu government revoked the appointment of astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay following criticism from opposition parties and allies. The controversial appointment triggered heated debate in the State Assembly

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday revoked its order appointing Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, an astrologer, as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD – Political) to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

The decision to withdraw the Government Order (GO) came less than 24 hours after the appointment was made on Tuesday, following a wave of sharp criticism from political opponents and allies of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) alike.

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The appointment sparked a heated debate in the State Assembly earlier in the day. Opposition leaders, including DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth, strongly condemned the move on the floor of the House, questioning the induction of an astrologer into a key political administrative role.

Facing mounting pressure and backlash from various quarters, the Vijay-led administration moved quickly to rescind the appointment.

Vettrivel, widely known as an astrologer, had been designated to handle political affairs in the Chief Minister’s Office before the government decided to reverse the decision.

Official sources confirmed that the GO stood cancelled with immediate effect. Further details on a replacement for the post are yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, responding to a query regarding the controversial appointment of an official previously described as an astrologer, Minister R Nirmal Kumar clarified that the individual in question is a long-standing “media spokesperson” for the party.

Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Kumar said, “He (Vettrivel) has been a media person supporting us for a long time. An individual’s personal profession can be anything, but his role here is that of a media spokesperson.”