‘What’s wrong in mentioning my father’s name?’: VD Satheesan breaks silence on oath row

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan on Wednesday reacted publicly to the controversy over his use of the name “Vadassery Damodara Menon Satheesan” during his oath-taking ceremony earlier this week.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the Governor and attending cabinet discussions, Satheesan defended his decision and dismissed criticism surrounding the mention of the caste-linked surname.

‘What’s the problem if I mention my father’s name?’

Responding to questions during the press interaction, the Chief Minister said: “What’s the problem if I mention my father’s name? My father’s name is that. I regret not getting the opportunity to mention my mother’s name too.”

The remark came amid growing debate on social media and within political circles after Satheesan used his full official name while taking oath as Chief Minister on May 18.

Why the controversy began

During the swearing-in ceremony, Satheesan began the oath by saying:

“I, Vadassery Damodara Menon Satheesan…”

The use of “Menon”, viewed as a caste surname, triggered criticism online because previous oath-taking videos of Satheesan as an MLA showed him using only “V.D. Satheesan”.

Old clips of his Assembly oath ceremony quickly resurfaced on social media, with users comparing the difference in naming.

Congress leader questions caste references

The controversy also sparked reactions from within the Congress party.

Congress leader Jinto John argued that political leaders should move away from caste identifiers to make the party more inclusive.

In a Facebook post, he wrote that he would never describe himself using caste or religious identifiers and added that “Jinto John” was sufficient.

He also described his political belief as a “slightly Left-leaning Congress conviction”.

Congress leaders defend Satheesan

Meanwhile, Congress leader B. R. M. Shafeer defended the Chief Minister and clarified that Satheesan’s official records, affidavits and certificates carry the full name “Vadassery Damodara Menon Satheesan”.

According to Shafeer, the media and public commonly refer to him as “V.D. Satheesan”, but the oath reflected his legally documented full name.

Political debate continues online

The issue has since become a major topic of political debate in Kerala, with supporters arguing that mentioning a legal full name should not be politicised, while critics say public leaders should avoid caste-linked references in official ceremonies.

The discussion comes at a time when Kerala’s new UDF government under Satheesan has already been under intense public and political scrutiny following the formation of the new cabinet.