VCK MLA and Social Welfare Minister Vanni Arasu in the C. Joseph Vijay-led TVK government has triggered a fresh controversy after claiming that members of the Scout movement greeted him with “Jai Shri Ram” during a school function in Chennai and alleging that the slogan was being introduced into schools and the armed forces in violation of the spirit of the Constitution.
The Minister said, “I entered the venue and members of the Scout movement greeted me with a salute. They said ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and saluted me. I was deeply shocked. Raising the slogan ‘Jai Shri Ram’, especially in schools, is against the Constitution given to us by Dr B.R. Ambedkar.”
Alleging further, he said, “In northern India, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is being projected as a test of patriotism. They are creating a narrative in North Indian states that one is patriotic only if one says ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ They are even trying to bring this into the armed forces. Traditionally, when two soldiers meet, they greet each other by saying ‘Jai Hind.’ Now they are attempting to replace it with ‘Jai Shri Ram’.”
The VCK MLA further alleged that “the Union government under Narendra Modi is trying to impose a false sense of patriotism based on the ideas of ‘One Nation, One Language’. That is why they are trying to introduce ‘Jai Shri Ram’ into the Scout movement.”
Rejecting the Minister’s claims, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran said Vanni Arasu had misunderstood the greeting altogether. He clarified that those who welcomed the Minister were National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, not Scouts, and that they had raised the traditional military salutation “Jai Hind, Sriman”, which the Minister allegedly misheard as “Jai Shri Ram”.
இந்து மதத்தின் மீதுள்ள வெறுப்பு, உங்கள் ஐம்புலன்களையும் ஒடுக்கிவிட்டதா அமைச்சர் திரு. @VanniTamizhVCK அவர்களே?
சமீபத்தில் நீங்கள் கலந்து கொண்ட பள்ளி விழாவில் “ஜெய்ஹிந்த் ஸ்ரீமான்” என NCC மாணவர்கள் உங்களுக்கு வரவேற்பளித்ததை, “ஜெய் ஸ்ரீராம்” என தவறாகப் புரிந்து கொண்டு, பள்ளி… pic.twitter.com/jHEHNmajSM
— Nainar Nagenthran (@NainarBJP) July 28, 2026
Nagendran said the Minister’s reaction exposed his “hatred towards Hinduism and the BJP” and alleged that Vanni Arasu used a school function to launch political criticism against the BJP after mistakenly interpreting the NCC greeting.
He further said that “Jai Hind, Sriman” has long been the customary salutation used by junior personnel while addressing senior officers in the Indian Armed Forces and other uniformed services. Nagendran also reminded the Minister that several regiments of the Indian Army have traditionally used battle cries invoking Hindu deities for decades, arguing that such practices do not amount to the introduction of any new slogan.
Taking a swipe at Vanni Arasu, the BJP leader said the Minister could not differentiate between the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the Scout movement. He urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to restrain his Ministers from making what he described as “anti-Hindu comments” before students.
Hindu Munnani also objected to Vanni Arasu’s speech, alleging that he claimed Christian missionaries introduced the education system in India. The organisation said his remarks exposed his religious leanings and bias and could create communal tensions and religious divisions in society. Hindu Munnani Tamil Nadu state president Kadeswaran C. Subramaniam said Vanni Arasu was unfit to hold a ministerial post.
கிறிஸ்தவ மிஷனரி இயக்கம் தான் இந்தியாவில் முதன் முதலில் கல்வியை தந்தது, என அமைச்சர் வன்னியரசு பேசியிருப்பது அவரது மதச் சார்பை அப்பட்டமாக வெளிப்படுத்துவதோடு, மதப் பாகுபாட்டை உண்டாக்கும் பேச்சாகும். அமைச்சர் பதவிக்கு தகுதியற்றவர் வன்னியரசு – இந்து முன்னணி மாநில தலைவர் காடேஸ்வரா C.… pic.twitter.com/RUO1T0SsB7
— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) July 31, 2026
One of the netizens, Rajeswari Aiyer, responded to Vanni Arasu by listing the contributions of the Bharatiya education system and its achievements in various fields.
🙄😲🤔Vanni Arasu, missionary st00ge says that Christian missionaries were the first to bring education to India, praising their sole contribution to the country's literacy and educational foundation.
Who is he?
Vanni Arasu is Minister for Social Justice in Tamil Nadu. He is… pic.twitter.com/D0z90fZFRn— RajeIyer (@RajeswariAiyer) August 1, 2026
In another controversy, Vanni Arasu referred to Muthuramalinga Thevar as a caste fanatic in a social media post. Objecting to this, filmmaker A.M. Chowdhury, who is making a film on Thevar, spoke to the Minister over the phone. However, in an audio clip that later went viral on social media, Vanni Arasu did not accept his mistake but attempted to justify his remarks.
வன்னியரசு, தயாரிப்பாளர் AM சௌத்ரி பேசிய ஆடியோ.. உடனே மாறிய அமைச்சர் வன்னியரசு உரையாடல் வைரல்!#Vanniarasu | #AMChowdhary | #ViralAudio pic.twitter.com/bhKaWgetfM
— INDTAMIL (@INDTAMIL24x7) July 31, 2026
On 31 July, Hindu Munnani lodged a petition with the Thisaiyanvilai Police Station and the Tahsildar seeking to stop a proposed two-day Christian prayer meeting at St John’s School. The organisation alleged that the event violated the Tamil Nadu government’s circular prohibiting religious programmes on school premises and sought action against the school management.
தமிழக அரசின் உத்தரவினை மீறி..
அரசு உதவி பெறும் பள்ளியிலேயே ஜெபக்கூட்டம்..நெல்லை மாவட்டம், திசையன்விளை பகுதியில் உள்ள அரசு உதவிபெறும் தூய யோவான் சவேரியா கிருஸ்தவ பள்ளியில் நாளை மற்றும் நாளை மறுநாள் ஜெபக்கூட்டம் நடைபெற இருப்பதாக தெரிகிறது.
தமிழக அரசின் உத்தரவினை மீறி அரசு உதவி… pic.twitter.com/9rsAlBDK7K
— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) July 31, 2026
According to Hindu Munnani, another Christian prayer meeting near a Hindu temple at Gopichettipalayam-Kullampalayam was stopped after its members, with police assistance, intervened at the venue.
இந்து கோவில் அருகே அனுமதி இன்றி நடைபெற்ற, கிறிஸ்துவ ஆராதனை கூட்டம்..
கோபிசெட்டிபாளையம் – குள்ளம்பாளையம் அருகே அனுமதியின்றி #கிறிஸ்துவ #ஆராதனை கூட்டம் நடைபெறுவதாக இந்து முன்னணிக்கு கிடைத்த தகவலின் பெயரில் அங்கு விரைந்து சென்ற இந்து முன்னணி நிர்வாகிகள் அனுமதி இன்றி நடைபெற்ற ஆராதனை… pic.twitter.com/TKGQHTCkjD
— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) July 30, 2026
The Tamil Nadu School Education Department had issued a circular on 10 July prohibiting “political, communal, separatist and non-educational events, meetings and campaigns” on school premises. The circular followed a Madras High Court hearing on a PIL filed by former AIADMK MLA V.P.B. Paramasivam regarding religious and political events in educational institutions. Following the government’s submission that such a circular had been issued, the PIL was withdrawn.
"சிறுபான்மை பள்ளிகளுக்கு ஆப்பு!"📌
இனி எந்த பள்ளிகளிலும் எந்த மதம் சார்ந்த நிகழ்ச்சிகளும் நடத்துக்கூடாது என அரசாணை வெளியிட்டுள்ளது தவெக அரசு. pic.twitter.com/2g2F4loOVh
— MR.Anil (@Saffron_Anil_) July 30, 2026
The latest controversy comes against the backdrop of Vanni Arasu’s earlier remarks at a meeting organised by Christian federations, where he reportedly assured participants that the government would enact a law to provide reservations in education and employment for converted Dalits and that all their demands would be met. The remarks had drawn strong objections from Hindu organisations.
Vanni Arasu has also courted controversy in the past over his repeated remarks against Hindu beliefs, gods, customs and traditions. Critics have accused him of making disparaging comments against Hinduism on several occasions while serving as a Minister in the C. Joseph Vijay-led TVK government.
