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Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Drops VIP Towel Gesture After Young Activist’s Post Sparks Viral Praise
India
Published on 15 May 2026
A 14-year-old’s tweet reportedly changed a VIP chair
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay drew attention online after a white towel, long used as a quiet marker of “VIP” status in Indian offices, was reportedly removed from his official chair. The trigger: climate activist Licypriya Kangujam, 14, urged him to end the practice on social media, calling it outdated hierarchy culture. Photos from a meeting then showed Vijay seated without the towel, prompting her to thank him. The episode reignited debate over whether such symbolic traditions still belong in modern governance.
- Licypriya Kangujam, 14, urged Vijay to end VIP towel culture
- The appeal was posted tagging the Tamil Nadu CM’s official handle
- New meeting photos showed Vijay seated without the white towel
- Users praised the move as listening to common people
- Critics debated whether such hierarchy symbols still matter
- Many link the practice’s origins to British-era office habits
Read the full story at Republic
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
Republic