Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday clarified his controversial jaw gesture during a speech in the State Assembly, saying the body language was involuntary and was not intended to hurt anyone’s feelings personally.

Vijay’s clarification came a day after his expression during his September 7 Assembly speech became a topic of discussion on social media. During the speech, in which he targeted the main opposition DMK over alleged corruption, Vijay was seen holding his jaw with one hand as if to lift it.

Addressing the controversy, Vijay said: “My body langauge was an involuntary expression. I would like to make it known that it was not in any way intentional.”

He further said: “Therefore, I kindly request that it should not be interpreted as an act intended to hurt anyone’s feelings on a personal level.”

Why Vijay’s jaw gesture sparked controversy

Vijay’s gesture of holding his jaw with one hand and appearing to lift it became a subject of discussion on social media.

Some people claimed that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was mocking DMK president MK Stalin through the gesture. The interpretation was linked to claims that Stalin had suffered a jaw fracture during his incarceration during the Emergency between 1975 and 1977.

However, whether Stalin actually suffered such an injury during his imprisonment is not known.

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What Vijay said in Tamil Nadu Assembly

The apparently inadvertent gesture happened during Vijay’s September 7 speech in the State Assembly, when he targeted the DMK over alleged corruption.

Vijay’s remarks were based on official Enforcement Directorate (ED) documents and the Sarkaria Commission report from the 1970s.

The controversy surrounding his body language subsequently became a separate point of discussion, with the gesture drawing attention on social media.