Tamil Nadu chief minister Ms Jayalalithaa avoided the inauspicious rahu kalam to hoist the national tricolour at 0930 hours, an hour behind the time nationally followed for the solemn ceremony.
The rahu kalam falls between 0730 and 0900 hours on Monday and people who subscribe to the belief usually avoid doing anything important during this time. Since this is her first Independence Day after coming to power, the AIADMK chief did not wish to hoist the tricolour during rahu kalam, sources revealed.
They said the public department in the secretariat had sent a communication to all the district collectors a couple of days back instructing them to hoist the flag to celebrate the Independence Day at 0930 hours and not the usual 0830 hours.
“We phoned our chief guest and told him to delay his arrival for the flag-hoisting”, a government school headmaster said.
Opposition DMK promptly slammed her saying she gave a go-by to tradition and protocol ‘for the sake of astrology’.
The DMK party organ Murasoli went to town about the change of flag-hoisting time.
“She has got used to following astrology for everything, even to sit and to stand. She has the right to practice astrology for personal things but how could she impose her beliefs on official affairs as well and put so many people to difficulties?” asked Murasoli.
It also recalled that the highly religious AIADMK chief minister had chosen to present the state budget in the Assembly at 1040 hours 'and not the usual 0930 or 1000 hours'.
"Ever since Independence, the national flag is being hoisted all over at 0830 on the Independence Day except in the cold region", the DMK paper pointed out.