BJP labels Tamil Nadu chief minister's London trip a leisure visit and investment claims false

BJP state president Nainar Nagendran described Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's recent delegation to London as a "pleasure tour" rather than a business mission, alleging that the administration is portraying already-operating companies as fresh investment partners. He criticized the plan to shift the Tamil Nadu Secretariat to Pattinapakkam, saying it may jeopardise fishermen's interests. Vijay's scheduled engagement with the Tamil diaspora was called off following public-safety warnings from the London Metropolitan Police, prompting his party's IT wing to advise supporters against gathering near his hotel.

The state had announced investment commitments of roughly ₹12,300 crore, including a major MoU with Samvardhana Motherson and deals with EY, Sigma Technology Group, Wilson Power Solutions and an unnamed European auto-parts firm, promising up to 10,000 jobs. Nagendran dismissed these figures as misleading, asserting that the projects were not new. The controversy highlights political tensions over economic promotion and regional development in Tamil Nadu.