Tamil Nadu Government Revokes Astrologer’s Official Appointment After Backlash

In a setback for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s personal astrologer, Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, had his appointment as Officer on Special Duty (OSD-Political) rescinded right after the government secured a trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The move came following strong criticism from opposition parties, social media users, and even allies within the ruling coalition, who questioned the reasoning behind appointing an astrologer to a taxpayer-funded government role.
Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel was appointed as OSD-Political through an official government order issued on Tuesday. He is known to be a close associate of Vijay, actively involved in the TVK campaign during the Assembly elections and also serving as one of the party’s spokespersons.
Having previously predicted a “tsunami victory” for Vijay before the election results, Rickey Radhan Pandit’s appointment stirred controversy within the Tamil Nadu Assembly during discussions preceding the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Vijay. Several legislators openly criticized the decision, putting immediate pressure on the newly formed government.