BJP says Tamil Nadu CM Vijay’s London trip a ‘pleasure tour’, investments claim a ‘complete lie’

Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay's recent London visit was a “pleasure tour”, the state's BJP president Nainar Nagendran said on Wednesday.

This came after the chief minister's London event was cancelled over safety concerns. Vijay is leading a state delegation to the UK to attract investments into Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Nagendran alleged that the state government was presenting already existing companies as new industrial investments secured during Vijay's overseas visit.

“Chief minister Vijay's London trip should be seen only as a pleasure tour. It is a complete lie that CM Vijay brought investments to Tamil Nadu. They are pointing out already existing companies as new industrial investments,” Nagendran said. He also criticised Vijay over the proposed relocation of the Tamil Nadu Secretariat to Pattinapakkam, saying it could affect the interests of fishermen in the area.

“As an actor, Vijay made a film as a friend of fishermen, but now, as Chief Minister, he is trying to bring the Secretariat to Pattinapakkam against the fishermen,” he said.

Vijay's London event cancelled

Vijay's scheduled meeting with members of the Tamil diaspora in London was cancelled after the Metropolitan Police raised public safety concerns.

Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) IT wing said on social media that the meeting could not go ahead following the police request. The party also asked supporters not to gather outside the hotel where Vijay was staying or along his travel routes, as per PTI.

Hundreds of fans had gathered outside The Shard in London on Tuesday for the event. The programme was later called off.

“Keeping public safety in mind and adhering to the guidelines of the London Metropolitan Police, the chief minister will be unable to meet you,” the TVK IT wing said.

The investments from Vijay's London visit

The Tamil Nadu government initially announced investment commitments of about ₹12,300 crore from agreements signed during Vijay's London visit, with the projects reportedly expected to create around 10,000 jobs. The commitments cover automotive manufacturing, technology, global capability centres and electrical equipment.

The biggest investment commitment came from Samvardhana Motherson, which signed an MoU to invest around ₹11,000 crore over five years in Tamil Nadu and create about 7,000 jobs.

EY signed an agreement to invest ₹1,000 crore in a Global Capability Centre in Chennai, expected to create more than 2,000 jobs.

Sweden-based Sigma Technology Group will expand its centres in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli, creating around 600 jobs.

UK-based Wilson Power Solutions signed an MoU for a ₹300-crore manufacturing unit in Tiruvallur, expected to create about 400 jobs.

A separate ₹3,000-crore letter of intent from a European auto-parts company took the overall investment commitments to around ₹15,300 crore. The company was not named.

The state also highlighted an earlier ₹2,500-crore MoU with Ashok Leyland, which was signed at the VETTRI Tamil Nadu Investors Conference in August.