My govt for common citizen, broke caste barriers: TN CM C Joseph Vijay

TN CM C Joseph Vijay calls his a govt for the 'common citizen' in a key assembly speech. He refutes 'reel to real' criticism, citing years of grassroots work before launching his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, and winning the 2026 election.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, on Tuesday, in a notable speech characterized his administration as one representing the 'common citizen'. In his response to the Governor's address, the Chief Minister underscored the necessity of transcending political differences and stated, "In the 2026 election, we broke the barriers of religion and caste."

Speaking in the state Assembly the Tamil Nadu CM said, "Even if we differ in our opinions, we must unite and work together for the welfare of the people. My thanks to the people of Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East."

Countering 'Reel to Real' Criticism

Highlighting the misconception surrounding his entry into politics, the CM stated, "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."

Following dismissal of critics, he underscored that 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," he said.

He added, "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)."

Ideological Clarity and Political Strategy

Vijay emphasised that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is 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.

Explaining the importance of his strategy, he remarked, "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."

'Government of the Most Ordinary People'

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. That is why we are now sitting in government. Some mockingly say that we achieved this in just two and a quarter years. But everyone knows the extent of the challenges and difficulties we faced during this journey."

Vijay further characterised his administration as one representing the common citizen and asserted that his mandate was hard-won through dedicated service. He explained, "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."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)