After TVK supremo C Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10, a video began circulating on social media claiming that anti-Hindi sentiment has intensified in the state following his appointment.
The viral clip allegedly shows people spraying black paint over Hindi text on public signboards and hoardings, with users linking the visuals to the new government. However, our investigation found that the claim is misleading.
Evidence
A reverse image search of key frames from the viral video led us to a Facebook post uploaded by Unseenchennai on March 12, 2026. The post carried the same visuals and stated that activists in Chennai were protesting against linguistic imposition by removing non-local scripts from public signages.
During further investigation, we found that Sun News had also shared visuals matching the viral clip. The report stated that members of the “May 17 Movement” were involved in protests targeting Hindi writings at the Chennai railway station.
We also came across a March 12, 2026 report by Indian Express Tamil mentioning that activists associated with the May 17 Movement participated in demonstrations opposing Hindi signboards at the Chennai railway station.
The May 17 Movement describes itself as a political and social organisation working for Tamil rights.
Further, images and updates related to the protest were also found on the official X account of May 17 Movement.
These findings clearly show that the viral video predates Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony and has no connection to the recent political developments in Tamil Nadu.
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Conclusion
The claim that anti-Hindi protests erupted in Tamil Nadu after C Joseph Vijay became the CM is misleading. The viral video is not recent and was available online months before the swearing-in ceremony. The footage actually documents a March 2026 protest by the May 17 Movement against Hindi signboards in Chennai.
FAQs
Q1. Does the viral video show protests after Vijay became CM?
No. The video was circulating online since March 2026, well before Vijay’s swearing-in on May 10.
Q2. Who conducted the protest seen in the video?
Reports and social media posts identify the protesters as members of the May 17 Movement.
Q3. Is the May 17 Movement linked to TVK or Vijay?
There is no evidence suggesting that the protest in the viral clip was organised in response to Vijay becoming CM.
Sources
Facebook Post By Unseenchennai, Dated March 12, 2026
Instagram Post By Sun News, Dated March 12, 2026
Report By Indian Express Tamil, Dated March 12, 2026
