Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay recently took a tough stand against corruption, saying that in his state, anyone involved in corruption, taking bribes or abuse of power will not be allowed to continue such acts.
Addressing a rally in Karur, Vijay urged people to refuse to pay bribes if anyone asks them to do so. To reassure the public, the Prime Minister said that he stood with them and asked them to firmly say “no” when he asked them for a bribe.
“When someone asks you for a bribe, tell him directly that you will not give it. I will be with you. And even then, if someone forces you, tell him: ‘Our son, our brother, Vijay is ruling this state.’ Tell them very strongly,” he said at the rally, to loud cheers and applause from the audience.
He added: “When you are with me, no one involved in corruption, taking bribes or abuse of power will be able to continue such actions.”
Vijay made the comments at a rally in Karur on Friday. This was the Prime Minister’s first visit to the region after a stampede in 2025 that killed more than 41 people at his pre-election meeting.
Read also: CM Vijay says he was ridiculed and blamed for Karur stampede tragedy: ‘We lost these innocent children who were like God’
DMK attacks Vijay
Senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan accused the Vijay government of receiving bribes. Responding to corruption charges against the previous DMK administration, the minister pointed out internal divisions within TVK.
He said that a lawyer from Vijay’s party had filed a lawsuit alleging that a senior leader and the general secretary received bribes ranging from… $Lakh for $20 thousand to appoint the party’s lawyer.
“We did not make these allegations; a lawyer from their party went to court. If you ask Vijay about this, he might have an answer,” news agency PTI quoted Elangovan as saying.
Vijay blames the police
Expressing his deep grief for those killed in the stampede, Vijay launched a campaign A sharp attack on the police for not providing adequate protection For a large crowd. He added that no warning was given to him by the police before the Karur event despite the huge turnout.
“After completing the Namakkal meeting, when we were coming to Karur, couldn’t Karur police have alerted us? They could have canceled the meeting if they felt the crowd couldn’t be controlled. They had every right to do that. Instead, they brought us to the spot. I completely believed them and even thanked the police officers that day. I never imagined such a tragedy would happen,” Vijay said.
When asked about the handling of the event, Vijay asked, “Who is responsible for all this? Who gave the orders? I ask you people, was adequate police protection given to such a huge crowd?”
Read also: DMK moves SC in Karur stampede case, raising concerns over investigation
“If my picture appeared on TV, the children would smile and call me ‘Vijay uncle’,” he said. “We lost these innocent children who were like God. Even when I was sad, people would make fun of me, blame me, and ask me why I was ‘running away and hiding’.”
He announced a memorial in honor of those who died and said TVK would erect it in Karur to ensure future generations remember the incident and to prevent such tragedies from being politicized.
“In order to make the next generation aware of the plot and plot against us, so that no one thinks of another political conspiracy, we announce that a memorial will be built in Karur on behalf of our TVK.”
Job offers for families
He also handed over compassionate placement orders to members of 31 families affected by the stampede.
Beneficiaries were provided jobs as junior assistant, office assistant and night watchman in school education, revenue, rural development, urban affairs, police, registration and panchayat departments in cities and in Karur block, according to PTI.
