The state government will seek the opinion and advice of the legal department and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa before acting on allowing those who attired in traditional way to various clubs in Chennai, School Education and Tamil Development Minister K.C. Veeramani informed the Assembly on Monday.
Responding to a special calling attention motion moved by the Opposition on denial of entry to Justice D. Hariparanthaman and two senior advocates into the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), the Minister said these clubs were registered under the Society Act and they were controlled by their own by-laws.
Earlier raising the issue in the House, DMK floor leader M.K. Stalin said suitable action should be taken against the club for >humiliating the Judge and advocates who went there to attend a private function.
“The incident has taken place at a time the state government-owned co-optex is organising ‘dhoti day’ to promote the traditional dress. Former Judge of the Supreme Court V.R. Krishna Iyer was also subjected to similar humiliation by one of these clubs,” he said, adding that Gymkhana, MCC and Boat Club were following similar rules against dhoti-clad men.
Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) whip V.C. Chandrakumar wondered how these clubs could deny entry to dhoti-clad men when dhoti was the traditional dress of even MLAs and MPs in the country.
CPI (M) floor leader A. Soundararajan said the denial of entry to the Judge and others into the club was an onslaught on Tamil culture. “The dress code was introduced by these clubs to prevent the entry of Indians into their areas. It is continuing even 67 years after the country achieved independence. The government should enact a law to take action against these clubs,” he said.
CPI leader Arumugam said great leaders such as Kamaraj, Jeeva and Periyar dressed in dhoti even when they visited foreign countries.
