Hundreds gather to see Tamil Nadu CM Vijay in London, event cancelled over safety concerns

Hundreds of fans gathered outside The Shard, London’s tallest building, to catch a glimpse of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, but the planned event was cancelled after the Metropolitan Police intervened, citing safety concerns.

Vijay’s team makes announcement 

After a large number of people gathered to see the Tamil Nadu CM, an announcement was made by the authorities outside Vijay’s hotel at the Shard in London on Tuesday.

“For public safety concerns, we are calling off the programme because we don’t have permission due to safety concerns,” a member of the chief minister’s team announced over a loudspeaker.

The cancellation disappointed many fans, some of whom had reportedly queued for hours to attend the event.

“I think it’s reasonable, but all of these people have been waiting. This is hardly the kind of crowds we see in Tamil Nadu,” said a young fan who had been camped at the actor-turned-politician’s hotel for hours.

Vijay’s UK visit brings over Rs 12,300 crore investment commitments

Vijay is leading a state delegation to the UK to attract investments into Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, the Chief Minister’s Office said the delegation had signed multiple Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) involving investments worth around Rs 12,300 crore during the UK visit.

The single-largest investment commitment of the tour came from auto component major Samvardhana Motherson International Limited.

Partnering with its European and UK-based joint venture entities, the group signed an MoU with Guidance Tamil Nadu to invest approximately Rs 11,000 crore over the next five years, the state’s investment facilitation agency said.

Under the agreement, Motherson will establish integrated Design, Engineering, Manufacturing, Assembly and Logistics (D.E.M.A.L.) facilities at strategic locations across Tamil Nadu.

The project alone is expected to create nearly 7,000 jobs in advanced engineering and supply chain operations.

The investment drive, aimed at positioning Tamil Nadu as a leading advanced manufacturing and technology hub in Asia, is expected to generate more than 9,400 high-value jobs across the state. Vijay is scheduled to conclude his UK tour and return to India on Wednesday.

However, the Chief Minister’s high-profile UK itinerary, which included a visit to the Silverstone motor racing circuit, drew criticism from opposition parties. They questioned whether the trip was primarily focused on securing investments for Tamil Nadu.

(With PTI inputs)

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