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Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Tuesday (June 23) slammed his critics for calling his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) an ‘actor’s party.’ During his address, Vijay also described his government as one that represents the interests of common people. Replying to Governor’s address, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister talked about his party’s journey and said that in the recently concluded assembly polls, his party “broke the barriers of religion and caste.”

In his speech, which highlighted several issues. Vijay dismissed his critics’ perception that he transitioned straight from cinema to politics, calling it a “reel” narrative. While narrating about challenges faced by the TVK, The Chief Minister recalled his party’s opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and also referred to the Karur stampede controversy.

“Some people say that I came directly from a film shooting set to become Chief Minister. In their own language, I would say that is just a ‘reel’. When we were functioning as a fan club, we stood by the people,” he said, as quoted by ANI.

He highlighted thta his his party’s foundation was laid by years of grassroots welfare.

“In 2008, we organised protests in support of Sri Lankan Tamils. In 2009, through our people’s movement, we carried out various welfare schemes for the public. Through our films, we spoke about social justice and opposition to corruption. In 2011, we organised a public meeting in support of fishermen and voiced our concerns on their behalf. We extended our support to the Jallikattu protest,” the Tamil Nadu CM said in the assembly.

“We personally visited and supported the Sterlite protest. We provided scholarships and incentives to meritorious students in education. After all this, we launched the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). We also issued statements opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA),” he added.

He even underscored that the TVK s guided by a blend of social reformers’ ideals and a commitment to distinct political clarity. “Periyar’s rejection of religious belief is not something we accepted, but we fully embraced his broader principles. We have always made it clear that we are not opposed to anyone’s ideology. We accepted Dr. Ambedkar’s ideals of equal opportunity and social justice. We adopted Kamarajar’s model of honest administration as our guiding principle. We clearly identified who our political opponents were and who our ideological opponents were,” he said.

Vijay even pointed out that in the 2026 polls, his party contested alone and managed to secure around 35 per cent vote share.

“Most people start a political party first and then go to the people. We went to the people first and only then started our party. Those who fail to understand this are the ones who dismiss us as merely an actor’s party. In the 2026 election, we contested alone without any alliance. Since the people understood us clearly, we secured 35% of the vote. We received 17.2 million votes and emerged as a major independent political force,” he remarked.

Vijay On Karur Stampede:

Referring to the Karur stampede tragedy in which 41 people lost their lives, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister questioned the political blame directed at his party and asked whether such an approach was appropriate.

“In Karur, 41 people lost their lives, and the blame was placed on us. Is this how politics should be conducted? Just as there was a government of ordinary people under Anna and a government of very ordinary people under M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), this government under Vijay is a government of the most ordinary people,” Vijay said.

‘Thalapathy’ Vijay On NEET And Two-Language Policy:

Vijay reaffirmed the state’s opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and reiterated support for the two-language policy.

Vijay said NEET continues to create inequality in access to medical education and defended Tamil Nadu’s long-standing demand for an alternative admission system. The state has consistently argued that admissions to medical courses should be based on Class 12 marks rather than a national entrance examination, maintaining that NEET places students from rural and state board backgrounds at a disadvantage.

The chief minister also reiterated his government’s commitment to the state’s two-language policy amid continuing debates over language education. Stressing the importance of linguistic diversity and state autonomy, he signalled that the TVK government would continue to oppose any perceived imposition of a three-language formula.

Meanwhile, in an apparent dig at MK Stalin, the Tamil Nadu CM said that his party’s politics is not focused on one party. DMK MLAs walked out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly during Vijay’s address.

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