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‘Ask the mother who the father is’: Tamil Nadu BJP chief’s remark on CM Vijay sparks row
BJP leader Nainar Nagendran sparked controversy by targeting Chief Minister Vijay's mother, leading to criticism from political leaders.
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran has triggered a political controversy after allegedly making a personal remark about the mother of Chief Minister Vijay.
Speaking at an event at the BJP’s state headquarters Kamalalayam on Saturday, Nagendran appeared to target Vijay while responding to the actor-turned-politician’s recent political remarks.
“When people search for a father in the House and cannot find him, they should ask the mother at home to know who the father is,” Nagendran said, according to news agency PTI.
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The remark drew sharp criticism from political leaders, who accused the BJP state chief of crossing the limits of political discourse and making a derogatory personal comment.
According to local media, a complaint has been filed against Nagendran at the DGP Office.
What Vijay said in Assembly
Nagendran’s remarks came in response to a “kutti kathai” (short story) narrated by Vijay in the Assembly. Vijay had used the story to take a swipe at DMK president MK Stalin after the DMK’s defeat in the April 2026 Assembly election, making an apparent reference to the whereabouts of an opposition leader’s “father” following Stalin’s electoral defeat in the Kolathur Assembly constituency. Vijay’s remarks had earlier drawn criticism from several political parties.
Responding to Nagendran’s comments, Minister A Rajmohan condemned the BJP leader’s remarks, describing them as “uncivilised and inappropriate” for someone holding a senior political position.
Rajmohan said Vijay had advised his colleagues to maintain civility in politics even when faced with provocation or personal attacks.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai also criticised Nagendran, saying the state BJP chief had crossed the boundaries of political decency and civility.
In a post on X on Saturday, Annamalai said it was “highly condemnable” that political speeches were vulgarising Tamil Nadu’s political arena.
He said political differences and criticism of government policies were part of democratic politics, but targeting a leader’s family members, particularly their mother, was unacceptable.
Annamalai described such remarks as “low-quality” and “third-rate” politics, and said such conduct should not be encouraged among Tamil Nadu’s younger generation.
He also said political leaders should not set an example of such behaviour for children in the state.
(With inputs from agencies)
