Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: TVK party chief Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10. Vijay's TVK party formed the government with the support of several parties, including the Congress. A white towel draped over a chair—this sight is still commonly observed in the offices of high-ranking officials across many government departments. Social activist Licypriya Kangujam had appealed to Tamil Nadu's new Chief Minister, Vijay, to put an end to this British-era tradition. Within just 24 hours of this appeal, Vijay indeed removed the white towel from his own chair. The white towel is no longer draped over Vijay's chair in the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's office, as was the practice previously. However, neither Vijay nor his office has issued any official announcement regarding the discontinuation of this custom, which dates back to the British colonial era.
In a post shared on his 'X' handle, social activist Licypriya Kangujam had urged Vijay to set a precedent by abolishing the custom of draping white towels over chairs. The activist alleged that this practice of placing white towels is prevalent not only on ministers' chairs but also in numerous government offices—even on the chairs of bureaucrats and lower-ranking officials. The activist further appealed for this custom to be discontinued in order to set a positive example for the public.