Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran triggered a political controversy on Saturday after making a personal remark aimed at Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay during a party event in Chennai. Nagenthran appeared to respond to Vijay’s earlier remarks in the Assembly and said that if someone wanted to know where their father was, they should ask their mother at home instead of seeking an answer in the legislature. The comments immediately drew criticism, with political leaders accusing the BJP state chief of crossing the boundaries of acceptable political discourse.

Speaking at the BJP’s state headquarters, Kamalalayam, Nagenthran said he was responding to Vijay’s earlier “kutti kathai”, or short story, in which the chief minister had made references involving the family of DMK president MK Stalin. Nagenthran criticised Vijay’s repeated references to the word “father” in the Assembly and used the remark to make a personal counterattack. His comments quickly became a political flashpoint, particularly because they referred directly to a leader’s family.

Vijay had earlier narrated a “kutti kathai” in the Tamil Nadu Assembly following the DMK’s defeat in the April 2026 Assembly election. The story included a humorous reference to the whereabouts of Udhayanidhi Stalin’s father and was understood as an apparent political allusion to MK Stalin’s defeat in the Kolathur constituency. The remarks had drawn criticism from several political parties at the time. Stalin, responding to the political jibe, had said that although he was no longer in the legislature, he continued to remain in the hearts of the people.

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Nagenthran’s latest comments have now prompted criticism from within and outside the BJP. Tamil Nadu minister A Rajmohan described the BJP leader’s statement as “uncivilised and inappropriate”. He said Vijay had repeatedly advised his colleagues to maintain political decorum even when facing political provocation or personal attacks. The minister argued that political differences should be expressed through issues and policies rather than personal remarks involving family members.

Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai also criticised Nagenthran’s comments, saying they had crossed the limits of political civility. Annamalai said questioning the government and engaging in political disagreements were legitimate aspects of democratic politics, but bringing a leader’s family, particularly their mother, into political attacks was unacceptable. He described the remarks as regressive and “third-rate” politics and said such conduct should not be encouraged, particularly among younger generations entering public life.

The controversy comes amid heightened political exchanges in Tamil Nadu following the 2026 Assembly election, with parties increasingly targeting one another over electoral defeats, leadership and political narratives. The latest dispute has shifted attention from policy issues to the personal nature of political rhetoric, with critics calling for greater restraint from public figures. The remarks by Nagenthran and the reactions from Rajmohan and Annamalai have further intensified the debate over political decorum and the limits of personal attacks in Tamil Nadu politics.

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