The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday revoked its order appointing astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as officer on special duty (political) to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

Earlier in the day, the appointment was challenged before the vacation bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Justices Victoria Gowri and N. Senthilkumar, on the grounds that it violated the constitutional principle of scientific temper.

The decision came a day after Vijay drew criticism across political lines, with even allies questioning the move.

Much of the objection to the appointment stemmed from criticism that one’s personal beliefs must not influence governance.

Just moments after a floor test on Wednesday, the government issued a notification stating, “the orders issued regarding the appointment of Thiru. Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to chief minister (Political) vide in the reference second cited is hereby revoked.”

On Tuesday, a government circular announcing the appointment said that Vettrivel would function as the political aide to the chief minister, Vijay to help in political coordination and advisory functions.

Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil criticised the appointment in a post on X where he said, "Beats me. Why would an astrologer require an OSD position? Can anyone explain?"

Vettrivel, personal astrologer to actor-politician Vijay, predicted the victory of Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Vettrivel came into the limelight for backing the political newcomer’s landslide success, even when allies and political rivals were uncertain of the actor’s two year old party.

A few months before the polls, Vettrivel claimed that Vijay’s horoscope indicated a major political breakthrough to the effect of a “tsunami,” reported Economic Times.

Vettrivel was also the personal astrologer of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.

Vetrivel had reportedly assured Jayalalithaa that she would avoid imprisonment in the disproportionate assets case. But in September 2014, she was jailed following the court verdict, leading to a breakdown in their association.

According to reports, his client base included former Reserve Bank deputy governor Jagathish Kapoor, IDBI chairman Chakravarthy, advocate Girish Gokhale, a judge of the Mumbai High Court, actress Manisha Koirala, Tea Board Chairman Shom Shekhar and Payal Abdullah, wife of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.