DMK Mouthpiece Targets Vijay Over Trisha’s Front-Row Presence at Independence Day Ceremony

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and actor Trisha Krishnan during the Independence Day celebrations held at Fort St George in Chennai on August 15, 2026. This is a composite image showing the two separately at the official ceremony. (Photo: Source/PTI)

DMK publication questions Trisha’s front-row seat and exchange of salutes with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister

• Murasoli questions exchange of salutes between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor at Fort St George
• Trisha attended the ceremony alongside Vijay’s parents and other invited guests
• Controversy follows legal action against Udhayanidhi Stalin over his purported remarks involving the actor

The DMK’s official publication, Murasoli, launched a sharply worded attack on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay in Chennai on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, over actor Trisha Krishnan’s prominent presence at the state’s Independence Day ceremony

Trisha was seated in the front row alongside Vijay’s parents during the August 15 celebrations at Fort St George. Wearing a mustard-yellow saree, she was seen saluting the Chief Minister as he passed the invited guests while reviewing the ceremonial proceedings.

The interaction attracted considerable attention on social media, where Vijay and Trisha’s friendship and repeated public appearances together have been the subject of widespread speculation.

In its editorial, Murasoli questioned the propriety of giving the actor a front-row seat at an official state function and criticised the exchange of salutes between her and the Chief Minister.

The publication reportedly described the interaction as a spectacle lacking dignity and claimed that even some people who had voted for Vijay would find it difficult to accept.

“Without any shame or embarrassment, the scene of the actress sitting in the front row and the two of them saluting each other could not be tolerated by those who voted for him,” the editorial was quoted as saying.

The newspaper also questioned whether such an interaction was appropriate during a solemn national ceremony and accused Vijay of attempting to justify conduct that, in its view, compromised the dignity expected of the Chief Minister’s office.

Political Row Deepens After Udhayanidhi Controversy

The editorial has appeared shortly after DMK leader and Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin faced police action over purportedly derogatory remarks widely interpreted as referring to Trisha while he was criticising Vijay at a political meeting in Thanjavur.

Udhayanidhi was taken into custody for questioning after a case was registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Information Technology Act and the Tamil Nadu law prohibiting harassment of women. The DMK described the action as political vendetta, while Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam maintained that objectionable references to women could not be justified as political criticism.

Trisha has attended several important occasions connected with Vijay in recent months, including his swearing-in ceremony. Her appearances have intensified public discussion about their friendship, although neither Vijay nor Trisha has publicly confirmed the personal relationship repeatedly suggested in social-media commentary.

The Murasoli editorial represents political criticism by a DMK-aligned publication and does not, by itself, establish any impropriety on the part of Vijay or Trisha. No response from the Chief Minister or the actor to the latest editorial was immediately available.