Chennai: The omission of references to Jawaharlal Nehru, ‘Periyar’ E V Ramasamy, B R Ambedkar and the Justice Party from the state govt’s policy note on backward classes welfare has triggered a political controversy, with minister V Sampath Kumar taking “moral responsibility” for the lapse and promising a revised publication. DMK accused the TVK govt of running a “shadow BJP administration” despite being in power with the support of the Congress and other allies.The references, which featured prominently in the previous DMK regime’s policy note, were missing from the 2026-27 document of the Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes Welfare department tabled in the Assembly on Thursday.In a statement, DMK legal wing joint secretary I Paranthaman alleged that the state govt had deliberately omitted key references to the history of the reservation movement. “In a state that serves as the cradle of social justice and the voice of the oppressed, omitting the names of the stalwarts who spearheaded the struggle for reservation from govt records amounts to historic betrayal,” he said. The omissions included references to the Communal Government Order, Periyar’s agitations, the Mandal Commission and the 27% reservation for OBCs in Union govt jobs and admissions to educational institutions.Paranthaman alleged that the contributions of the Justice Party and several social justice leaders had been “completely erased” as part of a calculated conspiracy. “Chief minister Vijay has effectively blackened the history of social justice. They have dared to sever its very roots. TVK is using Periyar and Ambedkar merely as brand ambassadors,” he said.DMK’s earlier policy note had detailed Periyar’s role in the 1951 agitation after the Supreme Court struck down the Communal GO. It had also linked the agitation to the First Constitutional Amendment, brought in by then Prime Minister Nehru and law minister Ambedkar, which introduced Article 15(4). The provision empowered the state to make special arrangements for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes.VCK general secretary V Sinthanai Selvan, an ally of the TVK, shared screenshots on social media comparing the two policy notes. He sought the chief minister’s intervention and demanded that the references be restored. “The chief secretary and department secretary should apologise and provide an explanation. There can be no greater atrocity than the suppression of history,” he said. Hours after the row erupted, Sampath Kumar told reporters that he would personally take “moral responsibility” for the omission and said steps were being taken to publish a revised version.
