India, May 13 -- The Tamil Nadu government withdrew its decision to appoint Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, an astrologer, as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD - Political) to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, following strong criticism from opposition parties and sections within the ruling camp.

The government order (GO) appointing Vettrivel was revoked less than 24 hours after it was issued on Tuesday, amid mounting political controversy and public debate over the selection.

The appointment had triggered sharp reactions in the State Assembly, with opposition leaders, including DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth, questioning the decision to assign a politically sensitive administrative role to an astrologer.

Facing sustained ba...