Tamil Nadu Child Rights Watch (TNCRW) has written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) seeking action against Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister (Congress MLA) P. Viswanathan for allegedly touching the legs of girl athletes inappropriately during a school function in Madurai last week. It has also written to CM Joseph Vijay, drawing his attention to and seeking action over recent incidents in schools involving TVK functionaries celebrating Vijay’s birthday.
As per reports, TNCRW, in a communication to the NCPCR, has requested it to take suo motu cognisance of the incident and called for a report from the Tamil Nadu government on the Minister’s inappropriate touching behaviour at Melur Government School. According to a viral video, the Minister can be seen touching the outstretched legs of the girls and cracking their toes while speaking to them.
After the video went viral, he initially defended his action as casual, saying he had a daughter, but later regretted it.
TNCRW convenor Jesu Rathinam said it is the obligation of the State and all public authorities to protect children.
He said, “Every allegation involving the physical safety of children deserves prompt, transparent and independent scrutiny so that public confidence in the child protection mechanism is maintained.”
It also urged the NCPCR to recommend necessary protocols for all government departments, educational institutions and organisers of public events involving children to ensure that interactions by public officials strictly respect children’s bodily autonomy, consent, dignity and child protection norms.
Its co-convenor A. Devaneyan said the NCPCR should also direct the Tamil Nadu DGP to ensure that the matter is examined and, if the facts disclose a cognisable offence, an FIR should be registered and an impartial probe conducted in accordance with the provisions of the POCSO Act and other applicable laws.
It has also written to the Chief Minister, red-flagging the organisation of Vijay’s birthday celebrations by TVK functionaries in schools and involving students in errands related to the celebrations, besides asking them to sing songs praising actor Vijay.
It urged the Chief Minister to direct the School Education Department to probe the incidents and take appropriate action in cases where students had been used for activities inconsistent with established educational norms.
According to the organisation, the events organised in schools were neither educationally appropriate nor consistent with the purpose of educational institutions. It also sought appropriate disciplinary action against individuals, including political functionaries or school managements, who may have allowed such activities that compromise the neutrality of educational institutions.
The outfit also appealed to the department to issue comprehensive guidelines banning the use of schools for political publicity, personality-oriented celebrations, partisan campaigns or any such activities.
It also sought the establishment of a mechanism for reporting and addressing instances where external individuals or organisations attempt to use educational institutions for purposes unrelated to children’s education.
Critics point out that a PIL has been filed by advocate L. Vasuki alleging that Vijay exploited minor children for electoral propaganda by urging them to pressure adults to vote for his party and its symbol during the 2026 Assembly elections.
It was the DMK that recognised the potential influence of students and has been exploiting it from the 1960s till date. The anti-Hindi agitation involved students. It also used cinema as another medium, exploiting its massive reach to propagate its ideologies and narratives.
It is alleged that TVK is another carbon-copy version of the DMK and has exploited children through social media posts before the elections and through Vijay’s appeal to them to persuade their parents to vote for TVK.
Now, its cadres are allegedly going beyond that and pushing their ideologies to students. The DMK has also been accused of the Dravidianisation of education through references to EV Ramaswamy Naicker, Anna and Karunanidhi to influence young minds.
Here are some of the incidents in which TVK cadres allegedly used schools to celebrate their leader’s birthday.
Till last year, such celebrations were largely confined to fans; now, they involve the public and even students. Students were reportedly given biscuit packets bearing Vijay’s photograph.
Government school students were allegedly taken out of classrooms to attend a TVK birthday celebration for Vijay near Kanchipuram.
In another event at Thevur in Nagapattinam district, TVK cadres allegedly made government school students sing a birthday song for the Chief Minister.
A post on X claims that 40 SC students were allegedly taken in autos to attend a birthday event after Rs. 5,000 each had allegedly been paid to the Headmaster, Assistant Headmaster and a teacher.
In Perambalur, in violation of rules, notebooks bearing Vijay’s picture, party flag and symbol were reportedly printed and sold openly. They were priced at Rs. 35 and notably did not carry the printer’s name. The public alleges that this is poisoning young minds at a tender age.
In Kancheepuram, according to Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran, students of JJ Nagar Panchayat Middle School were allegedly taken during class hours for birthday celebrations. He questioned who had given them the authority to take the students without their parents’ consent.
Some students were allegedly engaged in planting party flags, moving goods from one place to another, entering schools, distributing gifts carrying Vijay’s name and raising slogans of “Long live Vijay”.
In another recent incident, TVK cadres allegedly entered government schools and hung photographs of CM Vijay inside classrooms.
In another video, students were seen sitting on the ground while TVK functionaries spoke before distributing gifts to them.
In the post, students can be seen being taken in an auto for the birthday event.
At Sowthapuram Government Higher Secondary School in Namakkal, students were allegedly subjected to hardship by a local TVK functionary, Surya, who organised an event at the school to celebrate Vijay’s birthday, luring students by saying that gold coins would be given to toppers of Classes X and XII.
They reportedly waited for more than two hours under the scorching sun. A teacher told the media, “We were made to ask students to carry chairs, benches and microphone stands. The event managers also brought professional photographers, in clear violation, as this is a school and not a political stage.”
At the ESI Medical College and Coimbatore Medical College convocation event, in the presence of Ministers K.G. Arunraj, V. Sampath Kumar and K. Vignesh, and District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar, songs from films starring Vijay and others associated with the TVK election campaign were played, including the campaign song “Na Thannaanthani Aalu” (“I am a single man”), along with background music.
Annamalai and AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran criticised TVK functionaries for their unauthorised inspections, birthday celebrations and shooting of social media videos on the premises of government schools across the State.
A video showed a group of TVK men from Uthiramerur allegedly entering a government school at Thalavarampoondi on June 19, disrupting a class to display the official portrait of CM Vijay. They interacted with the students, and their actions drew widespread criticism.
A netizen said, “Who authorised TVK functionaries to enter school campuses, organise blood donation camps, hold events under party banners and display Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s portrait? There are numerous violations by TVK functionaries, yet no action has been taken by the Education Department @imrajmohan. If educationists, NGOs and resource persons require prior approval under the School Education Department’s SOP, what special privilege exempts political party members? Schools belong to students, not political parties.”
In Melur, Madurai, Minister Viswanathan and TVK functionaries were seen dancing to a song from a Vijay film inside a school.
At a government school in Thirubuvanam, Sivaganga district, TVK cadres installed TVK banners for a volleyball tournament.
YouTuber Maridhas condemned the installation of banners in front of schools and colleges and the hanging of the Chief Minister’s photographs inside classrooms, describing it as “the most disgusting politics”.
He alleged that such incidents were occurring daily to brainwash children and that TVK was trying hard to exploit them for its political future and survival.
In Thalavaipuram, Minister Jageswari took selfies with students amid slogans of “TVK, TVK”.
Another post said, “Really worried about the future of Tamil Nadu. Where are we heading?”
A TVK Minister watched students create an image of Vijay using arranged broken pieces while blindfolded with black cloth.
This reportedly happened in a private school in Thiruvallur near Chennai. During the event, Vijay’s film songs were played through loudspeakers.
Parents, on learning about the event, reportedly scolded the school management for making their children stand under the scorching sun.
At a government school, banners were tied at the entrance. Questions were raised over who had permitted this.
In another video, students were seen singing a song praising Vijay.
Students, who should be singing the Tamil Thai Vazhthu, the National Anthem and Vande Mataram, were allegedly made to sing songs praising Vijay. The post described the situation as unfortunate for the younger generation.
Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy, in a post on X, said, “Under Vijay’s rule, schools have turned into theatres for TVK Ministers, MLAs and functionaries. They are dancing with students, making them sing in chorus and engaging in other such activities. These will lead the next generation on a destructive path. The Chief Minister should understand and act.”
The TVK government also faced backlash over its move to issue ID cards to students containing caste and community details, among other information.
In Mayiladuthurai, schoolchildren participated in Silambattam rallies and public celebrations organised specifically to mark the Chief Minister’s birthday.
Videos from the event showed students performing traditional martial arts demonstrations as part of the festivities.
Political leaders often advocate that children should be kept away from politics, yet increasingly elaborate birthday events are being organised around a serving Chief Minister, using students as participants, performers and visual symbols.
It is a serious concern that educational institutions and minors are being drawn into activities centred on promoting the image of a serving Chief Minister.
