Story perspectives

Vijay Says Jaw Touch Gesture Unintentional, Faces Body-Shaming Claims

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 11:57 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay touched his jaw during a Tuesday Assembly speech on police grant debate.
Vijay said the gesture was unintentional.
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan said the gesture violated human dignity and urged restraint.
CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam condemned the gesture as body shaming.
Thirumavalavan criticized Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar for removing parts of Vijay’s speech from the Assembly record.

History

Historical Context

In June 2019, Lok Sabha suspended opposition leader Rahul Gandhi for ten days after his remarks about the prime minister’s mother sparked outrage. Speaker Om Birla enforced the penalty, while the Indian National Congress appealed to the Supreme Court, citing parliamentary freedom and proportionality. Today, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s inadvertent jaw-touch gesture provoked Thol Thirumavalavan, CPI(M) secretary P Shanmugam, and Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar’s censure. The parallel underscores mounting pressure on Indian legislatures to codify stricter conduct rules, lest symbolic slights erode institutional respect and trigger legal challenges.

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Story summary

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay touched his jaw during a Tuesday Assembly speech on police grant debate.
Vijay said the gesture was unintentional.
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan said the gesture violated human dignity and urged restraint.
CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam condemned the gesture as body shaming.
Thirumavalavan criticized Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar for removing parts of Vijay’s speech from the Assembly record.

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