TN CM Jayalalithaa warned clubs to cancel licenses over Dhoti issue

Chennai: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said the government would enact a new law in the current session to curb such practices. She decried over the action of a private club imposing a dress code and denying entry to a dhoti-clad Judge as an “insult” to Tamil culture.

Notify that Tamil Nadu government has stepped in after the row over a Madras High Court Judge and two advocates being refused entry into the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Club for wearing dhotis. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has said that she will not hesitate to cancel licenses of the clubs who indulge in such acts.

She made a statement in the state assembly on Wednesday saying the act is against the Tamil culture and tradition. She went on to say that such an incident taking place 67 years after independence is unfortunate.

She said, “This is an act of insult to Tamil civilisation and culture. This is a denigrating act. I strongly condemn this act.”

Calling the ban sartorial despotism, Jaya has sought an explanation from the TNCA club. She also said that her government will enact a law to end ban on dhoti in private clubs. The law is likely to be passed in current session of assembly itself.

Madras High Court Judge, Justice D Hariparanthaman was denied entry into the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Club recently for wearing dhoti. When he alighted from his official car at the club premises to participate in a book release function organised by TS Arunachalam, a former Chief Justice of the High Court, some staff of the club told him that he could not enter the premises wearing dhoti as they had instructions from the office-bearers not to allow anyone in the premises who violated the club’s dress code. The judge has termed the incident as “unfortunate”.

DMK chief Karunanidhi had condemned this incident and said, “Wearing dhotis is Tamil culture and a ban on dhotis is condemnable. If there’s a compulsion that a certain dress code must be followed in a few places, the government must intervene and advise them. That will put an end to such incidents.”

Bureau Report