After spending months projecting the DMK as the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s principal political adversary, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has once again found himself apologising in the Assembly over a reference to former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
This time, the apology came after Forest Minister Ranjith Kumar referred to Karunanidhi by name during his speech in the House, without using the customary prefix “former Chief Minister”. Vijay subsequently apologised on the minister’s behalf.
The irony is difficult to miss.
A minister merely referred to a former Chief Minister by his name. There was no abusive expression, personal insult or derogatory description involved. Yet Vijay considered the reference serious enough to apologise for it on the floor of the House.
The same sensitivity, however, was conspicuously absent when Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson made remarks about Tamil and invoked his Christian faith while responding to criticism of his use of the language in the Assembly.
Apology For Saying Karunanidhi’s Name
The controversy began when Ranjith Kumar was responding to the DMK’s allegations regarding electoral cash distribution.
Referring to the alleged “Thirumangalam Formula”, the minister said that the DMK member had spoken about everything “from the scheme of giving money for votes to Karunanidhi”. The reference to Karunanidhi without the prefix “former Chief Minister” was objected to in the House.
The Speaker subsequently announced that the reference would be expunged from the Assembly records.
Vijay then apologised on behalf of his minister.
“It was wrong to speak by mentioning that leader’s name [without honorifics]. On his behalf, I apologise,” Vijay said.
This was not even the first time Vijay had apologised for referring to Karunanidhi by his actual name.
In June, while speaking about Tamil Thai Vazhthu and the National Anthem controversy, Vijay referred to the portrait of “our former Chief Minister, Karunanidhi” before immediately correcting himself: “Sorry, sorry, Kalaignar.”
He then apologised again for the slip.
The pattern is striking. A political leader who has built his party by positioning it against the DMK appears unwilling to allow even an unadorned reference to Karunanidhi inside the Assembly without an apology.
But What About Marie Wilson?
The contrast becomes sharper when placed alongside the remarks made by Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson.
During the August 2026 Assembly session, Wilson was criticised by an MLA over his use of Tamil while making his arguments in the House. The MLA acknowledged Wilson’s proficiency in English but pointed out that he had omitted certain phrases and used some grammatically incorrect Tamil expressions.
Wilson responded by saying that there was a broader trend of mocking people based on their appearance, caste, gender and now language.
He then brought his Christian faith into the exchange.
“My Christianity has taught me the language of love, peace, and compassion—things that half the people here wouldn’t understand, no matter how much Tamil they have studied,” Wilson said, adding, “I am a born Christian.”
In effect, Wilson placed Christianity as the source of the “language of love, peace, and compassion”, while suggesting that proficiency in Tamil did not necessarily give those criticising him access to it.
Whatever the context of the exchange, the remarks were made in the Assembly and specifically invoked Tamil and the ability of others to understand it.
Yet there was no apology from Vijay to the Assembly. There was no apology to the people of Tamil Nadu. Nor was there a visible attempt by the Chief Minister to distance his government from the remarks.
That silence becomes particularly conspicuous because the same government had, just days earlier, passed a unanimous resolution on Tamil Thai Vazhthu.
The Timing Makes It More Difficult To Ignore
On August 10, the Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution making it mandatory for Tamil Thai Vazhthu to be sung first at the beginning of government functions, including programmes conducted in universities, schools and public sector undertakings.
Vijay welcomed the resolution, describing Tamil as “not just a language” but a thought, culture, civilisation and life, calling it “our soul and our emotion”.
He said the resolution represented the highest form of respect that could be accorded to Tamil Thai and would remain in Tamil Nadu’s history.
That was the Chief Minister’s position on Tamil in public.
But when his own Finance Minister invoked Christianity while responding to criticism over his Tamil and effectively suggested that the “language of love, peace, and compassion” came from Christianity rather than from Tamil or Tamil culture, Vijay had nothing to apologise for.
Instead, the Chief Minister chose to apologise for an MLA saying “Karunanidhi” without an honorific.
Two Standards In The Assembly
There is nothing controversial about observing Assembly conventions or showing respect to a former Chief Minister. But the contrast in Vijay’s responses is difficult to overlook.
For saying “Karunanidhi” without an honorific, Vijay immediately stepped in and apologised on behalf of his minister.
When his own Finance Minister spoke about Tamil in a manner that dragged his Christian faith into the discussion and suggested that some people who had studied Tamil would not understand the “language of love, peace and compassion” while his Christianity did, Vijay chose not to intervene.
And this was not said at some private gathering. It was said inside the Assembly, in the middle of a debate over Tamil.
The timing makes the contrast even sharper. Just days earlier, Vijay had described Tamil as “our soul and our emotion” while celebrating the unanimous Assembly resolution on Tamil Thai Vazhthu.
The question is why the Chief Minister was quick to apologise for the use of a former Chief Minister’s name but had nothing to say when his own Finance Minister made remarks about Tamil, especiall when Vijay himself called the language “our soul and emotion”.
For a government that has made Tamil pride a central part of its public messaging, that silence is far more revealing than another apology over the word “Karunanidhi.”
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
