Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay scraps astrologer’s OSD appointment after backlash

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay appointed astrologer and personal adviser Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as a special officer (OSD) for the chief minister’s department. The decision drew sharp criticism from coalition partners such as VCK, DMDK and left parties, who called the move a misuse of public office and an endorsement of superstition. Opposition figures and social media also condemned the appointment, questioning its constitutional validity.

Following the outcry, the state government withdrew the order the next day, cancelling Vettrivel’s OSD posting. A legal petition was also filed in the Madras High Court challenging the appointment under constitutional provisions governing public service appointments.