Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Gifts Dior Sunglasses During Salem Visit
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay visited the Mettur area on Tuesday.
He opened dam gates to release water for farmers and drinking-water needs.
The water will help farmers grow Samba crops in the Cauvery delta.
Vijay also stopped unexpectedly near a farm while traveling to Salem airport.
He met elderly women who were working in the fields.
He later visited a farmer named P. Ramasamy and spoke with his family.
Vijay gave his sunglasses to an elderly woman, identified by one report as Chellam.
One report said the glasses cost Rs 40,000, while another said Rs 46,000.
People on social media debated whether giving away the glasses was appropriate.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay opened the Stanley Reservoir sluice gates at Mettur Dam on Tuesday.
The water release was intended to support irrigation for 2026–27 Samba cultivation and local drinking-water needs.
Vijay made an unscheduled stop near a roadside farm and later visited farmer P. Ramasamy’s home in Chinnakavoor village.
He met elderly women working nearby and gave his Dior sunglasses to an elderly woman identified in one report as Chellam.
Reports differed on the sunglasses’ value, putting it at either Rs 40,000 or Rs 46,000; the gesture prompted social-media debate.
- Who
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, farmer P. Ramasamy, an elderly woman identified in one report as Chellam, Water Resources Minister N. Anand, and local farming families.
- What
- Vijay released water from Mettur Dam, met local farmers, and gave his Dior sunglasses to an elderly woman.
- When
- Tuesday, during the 2026–27 Samba cultivation season.
- Where
- Mettur and Chinnakavoor village in Salem district, Tamil Nadu; the stop occurred near a roadside farm.
- Why
- The water was released for Cauvery delta irrigation and local drinking-water needs; Vijay’s interactions focused on farming conditions and water requirements.
Gesture Seen as Personal
Gesture Questioned
Giving away the sunglasses
Gesture Seen as Personal
The reports describe Vijay stopping to meet elderly farm workers, persuading one woman to accept the glasses, and placing them on her face himself.
Gesture Questioned
The gesture sparked debate on social media, with the headline raising the question of what the elderly woman would do with the sunglasses.
- Chief Minister
- C. Joseph Vijay
- District
- Salem, Tamil Nadu
- Reservoir
- Stanley Reservoir at Mettur Dam
- Water purpose
- Cauvery delta irrigation and local drinking-water needs
- Cultivation season
- 2026–27 Samba season
- Farmer visited
- P. Ramasamy of Chinnakavoor village
- Sunglasses
- Dior glasses; reports gave differing values of Rs 40,000 and Rs 46,000
