"What's Bothering You": Vijay Hits Back Over MK Stalin's "Shooting" Remark

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK chief Vijay hit back at the opposition DMK today over their criticism of his campaign rally. Vijay had gone campaigning for the coming bye-elections at Madurantakam and Dharapuram. But it drew massive criticism from DMK chief and former Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son, former minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. They targetted him over his interactions with voters, sipping tea with the public and even riding a tractor. 

Vijay, who won an unprecedented mandate in the recently held assembly elections in the state, said: "I am not someone who meets people only during elections. I will meet my people any time I want and as many times I want. What's bothering you?" 

Earlier, the DMK chief had questioned why the Chief Minister is conducting an intensive campaign across the two constituencies when he had made fewer campaign visits during the 2026 assembly election. 

MK Stalin dubbed today's campaign "shooting". 

"The Chief Minister did a shooting here at Madhurantangam. There was one scene of drinking tea. After drinking tea, he showed off, giving them Rs 500. Does he know how much people pay for tea daily?" he said. 

Pointing out that the Chief Minister had visited his own constituency Perambur only once after victory, Stalin said now Vijay has visited Madhurantangam twice and is "visiting each street for bye-elections".

"Why so much anxiety now? Because he doesn't trust his own governance," Stalin said. 

"During 2026 general elections, he campaigned only at 10 locations, that too, he did not even came out of his vehicle," Stalin said. "But now he went to each lane in Madhurantangam. I like your fear, Chief Minister Sir. They used to say five minutes are enough to shatter the world. But now he is bending over backwards to get votes in one constituency... He is even scheduled to go to Dharapuram to do shows," he added.

"We have to thank the people of Dharapuram and Madhurantangam. You know why? Because in the month of April Chief Minister did not even come outside for campaign. in total he campaigned for only seven or eight days. But now he did campaign in Madhurantangam for 8 hours, going though each road and visiting tea shops," said Udhayanidhi Stalin. 

Then, he mocked, "The Chief Minister is seeing a tea shop, driving a tractor, drinking tea for the first time".