Tamil Nadu govt takes note of dhoti controversy

Days after a sitting Madras High Court Judge was denied entry into a club in Chennai for wearing a dhoti -- the state's traditional attire, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday said it would look into the issue and take action in consultation with its law department.

Soon after question hour in the Assembly, Speaker P Dhanapal permitted the Opposition parties' attempt to bring to government's notice the July 11 incident at Chepauk locality and demanded that action be taken against such clubs, which banned the state's culture symbol of dhoti inside their premises.

DMDK's whip V C Chandrakumar, DMK Floor Leader M K Stalin, CPI (M) Floor Leader Soundararajan, CPI's Legislative Party leader Arumugam, Congress' C R Gopinath, PMK's Ganeshkumar, MMK's Aslam Basha and others raised the issue.

Replying to the matter, School Education Minister K C Veeramani said such clubs were registered under Societies Act and have been functioning with their own bye-laws.

"The government would look into the issue and consult with the law department and take the issue to the chief minister and would consider action," he said.

The denial of entry to Madras High Court Judge, Justice D Hariparanthaman into the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Club for wearing dhoti, has triggered a controversy with several parties like DMK and the Congress condemning it.

When he alighted from his official car at the club premises to participate in a book release function, organised by T S Arunachalam, a former Chief Justice of the High Court, some staff of the club told him that he could not enter wearing dhoti as they had instructions from the office-bearers not to allow anyone in the premises who violated the club's dress code.