CHENNAI: BJP state chief Nainar Nagenthran triggered a political row on Saturday with remarks targeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, drawing strong condemnation from Minister A Rajmohan.
The remarks, which Nagenthran presented as a response to Vijay's “kutti kathai” (short story) criticising DMK president MK Stalin, drew condemnation from political parties. A complaint was later filed at the Chennai DGP office over Nagenthran's remarks.
Speaking at a party event at Kamalalayam, the BJP state headquarters here, Nagenthran mockingly remarked, “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.” The remarks sparked widespread backlash, with several leaders condemning them as derogatory and disrespectful.
Vijay had narrated a “kutti story” in the Assembly following the DMK's defeat in the April 2026 Assembly election, referring humorously to the whereabouts of the opposition leader's “father” in an apparent allusion to Stalin's electoral defeat in the Kolathur Assembly constituency. Several political parties, including the DMK, had criticised Vijay's remarks.
According to Daily Thanthi, lawyer Varthini has filed an online complaint against Nainar Nagenthran at the Chennai DGP office, alleging that his remarks about Chief Minister Vijay and his mother were defamatory.
The complaint said that while political criticism was acceptable, personally humiliating a family member was a matter of concern, and alleged that Nagenthran's remarks were slanderous and hurtful to her as a woman and mother.
In February 2026, Nainar Nagendran faced widespread backlash for making a personal remark involving actor Trisha Krishnan while criticising Vijay. Trisha later condemned the comment through her legal counsel, stating she was politically neutral and demanded that personal lives be kept out of political discourse, leading to the State BJP chief tendering an apology.
Minister Rajmohan strongly condemned the BJP state chief's remarks, calling them “uncivilised and inappropriate” for a political leader. He said Vijay had taught his colleagues to engage in civilised politics regardless of provocations or personal attacks.
Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu condemned Nagenthran's remarks about Chief Minister Vijay and his family, describing them as “extremely disrespectful and indecent” and deserving of strong condemnation. He also said Nagenthran had made low-standard remarks about an actress even before this.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president Manickam Tagore said Nagenthran's "politically uncivilised remarks" had become a regular occurrence and demanded that he immediately and unconditionally apologise to the people of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Minister for his remarks.
Former BJP president K Annamalai also condemned Nagenthran's remarks, saying he had crossed the boundaries of political decorum and civility.
Annamalai said political disagreements and questioning the government's actions were part of democratic discourse, but personal attacks against a leader's family, particularly their mother, were unacceptable and represented a regressive, “third-rate” form of politics that should not be encouraged among the younger generation.
(With inputs from PTI)