A political slugfest erupted after Chief Minister Joseph Vijay’s reply to the Governor’s Address in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, with Leader of the Opposition and DMK scion Udhayanidhi Stalin responding through a social media post that accused Vijay of behaving like an actor rather than a Chief Minister.
Yet, while faulting Vijay for resorting to anecdotes and punch dialogues in the House, Udhayanidhi himself seemed to be using a personal taunt referencing the widely discussed Joseph Vijay divorce case in Chengalpattu.
During his reply speech, Vijay narrated a short anecdote that trolled Udhayanidhi Stalin and his father, former Chief Minister MK Stalin. The Chief Minister described a situation in which a person was told that his father was standing nearby, only for the father to be nowhere in sight. The story was interpreted as an indirect swipe at Stalin and a few Opposition members called out Vijay for resorting to personal anecdotes instead of responding to issues raised during the debate.
Reacting to the speech, Udhayanidhi took to X and accused Vijay of delivering a scripted performance rather than a substantive reply.
He alleged that the Chief Minister had used the Governor’s Address debate to make scripted allegations and perform for the cameras. Udhayanidhi further criticised Assembly proceedings, claiming that Vijay treated the legislature’s live cameras like cinema cameras and that efforts were made to ensure his speech proceeded without interruptions from the opposition.
The DMK leader argued that Vijay’s reply contained little beyond allegations and punch dialogues, while failing to address key concerns such as power cuts, farmers’ issues, deteriorating law and order, and the government’s plans for fulfilling electoral promises.
He also condemned Vijay’s remarks on the ongoing farmers’ protests, accusing the Chief Minister of belittling farmers by suggesting that the agitations were being instigated by opposition parties.
However, it was Udhayanidhi’s response to Vijay’s anecdote that attracted particular attention.
Referring to Vijay’s habit of narrating “little stories” in the Assembly, Udhayanidhi stated that such rambling was contrary to the dignity of the House. He then remarked that “the story of a wife searching for her husband in the Chengalpattu court is known to all of Tamil Nadu.”
சட்டப்பேரவையில் ஆளுநர் உரைக்கு பதிலுரை என்ற பெயரில் scripted அவதூறுகளை அள்ளிவீசி acting performance காட்டி இருக்கிறார் முதலமைச்சர்.
பேரவையின் live Camera-வை, சினிமா camera என்று நினைத்துக் கொண்டு அவர் பேச, அதனை எதிர்க்கட்சிகளின் குறுக்கீடுகள் இன்றி single take-இல் shoot செய்ய… pic.twitter.com/54XX1k929L
— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) June 23, 2026
Concluding his post, Udhayanidhi urged Vijay to move beyond his identity as a film actor and conduct himself as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
While Udhayanidhi was accusing Vijay of lowering the standard of Assembly discourse through anecdotes and punch dialogues, his own response introduced Joseph Vijay’s personal matter that had little connection to governance or the Governor’s Address debate.
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