Pakistan-based Facebook pages allegedly used to promote C. Joseph Vijay

A network of Facebook pages based in Pakistan has allegedly been used to conduct paid social media campaigns to promote Indian actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

Investigations into leaked chat records and Facebook Page Transparency data suggest that representatives from pages such as ‘Explore Pakistan’ negotiated promotional rates, including $100 per post or monthly packages of $800 to $1,000. The campaigns reportedly aimed to build Vijay’s political image, with some negotiations seeking coverage through the 2029 elections.

Evidence suggests a pattern of repurposing existing accounts; some pages previously hosted Pakistani political or religious content before being renamed to promote Vijay. Additionally, the campaign allegedly pushed a narrative portraying Vijay as the ‘Imran Khan of India,’ suggesting he views the former Pakistani Prime Minister as a political role model. There has been no public statement from Vijay regarding these claims.