Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol. Thirumavalavan has built his political career branding himself as the uncompromising voice of Dalits and an independent force in Tamil Nadu politics. But in reality, he has steadily reduced his party into nothing more than a loyal extension of the DMK singing paeans and butteressing when his own people has been at the receiving end of the Stalin governments’s failures. Whether it is liquor prohibition, Dalit atrocities, police brutality, or even the Karur stampede, Thirumavalavan’s responses follow a predictable script: soft-pedalling DMK’s failures, inventing scapegoats, and deflecting blame to the BJP. For a leader who claims to champion “independent” Dalit politics, his record speaks of nothing but subservience.
In the name of alliance dharma or what seems like subservitude, Thirumavalvan has never criticised the DMK but instead has blamed the BJP despite them not being in the picture in the first place!
Take for example, the recent Karur TVK rally stampede. Instead of questioning the DMK over the crowd mismanagement or holding the TVK responsible for the crowd swell, Thirumavalvan has chosen to blame the BJP for the chaos and tragedy.
Thirumavalavan accused the BJP of “underground dealing” to shield Vijay from police action, arguing that “the BJP is trying to save Vijay” while ordinary people bear the brunt of law enforcement.
Let us take a look at some of the instances where Thirumavalavan has done the same.
The Vengaivayal Case
In the Vengaivayal case involving fecal contamination of water tanks in a Dalit colony, Thirumavalavan initially criticized the CB-CID investigation but took a notably restrained approach compared to his usual activism. Despite VCK announcing statewide protests in February 2025, Thirumavalavan limited his demands to requesting a judicial inquiry rather than completely breaking with DMK.
While expressing dissatisfaction with the CB-CID chargesheet that named three Dalits as accused, Thirumavalavan met CM Stalin personally and submitted a memorandum seeking a one-man inquiry commission. This measured approach contrasted sharply with the fury expressed by affected Dalits who were in “closed-door protest”.
Liquor Prohibition Issue (2024-2025)
In September 2024, Thirumavalavan harshly criticized DMK for not implementing total prohibition despite their 2016 election promise, calling it an “anti-national act”. However, after meeting with CM Stalin in September 2024, he changed his stance significantly. Following his meeting with Stalin, Thirumavalavan announced that DMK would participate in VCK’s anti-liquor conference and stated “there are no issues whatsoever in ties between his party and the DMK”. He defended Stalin by saying the CM conveyed that “there was no difference of opinion in bringing prohibition into force” and accepted the government’s “phased manner” approach.
Ultimately, he said that they will present the petition to the central government to ban liquor in the country, implying that it was the BJP-led central government that was responsible for the whole alcohol-related mess in the state.
Sanitary Workers’ Protests (August 2025)
When DMK-run municipal authorities deployed police against protesting sanitary workers, BJP leaders attacked VCK for its silence. Thirumavalavan countered by blaming the BJP’s previous governments for privatizing essential services and accused them of hypocrisy: “I am not defending DMK, but why this double standard?”.
Power-Sharing Controversy Management (September 2024)
When Thirumavalavan’s “share in power” video went viral and was initially deleted from his social media, raising speculation about alliance tensions, he quickly clarified his position. He emphasized it was a “long-standing ideological standpoint” and assured that VCK would remain with DMK.
Flagpole Removal (September 2024)
In Madurai, local authorities removed a 62-foot flagpole of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), originally erected to commemorate the party’s founding by Thol Thirumavalavan. Officials cited road expansion as the reason, though VCK leaders insisted the reinstalled pole followed all rules. On 13 September 2024, police again dismantled the relocated post, sparking protests from party functionaries who accused the district administration of targeting them. Thirumavalavan condemned Collector M.S. Sangeetha, alleging deliberate harassment of VCK. While criticizing the administration, he also sought intervention from DMK ministers, reflecting his balancing act between opposition politics and ties with the ruling party.
Rejecting Opposition Overtures (November 2024)
Despite hints from AIADMK and speculation about VCK switching sides, Thirumavalavan firmly rejected rumors in November 2024, stating: “Our alliance with the DMK is unconditional” and “No need has arisen to discuss an alliance”.
Fear of Hindutva Compromising Progressive Values (August 2025)
In a broader ideological critique, he warned that fear of the BJP’s Hindutva politics was “pushing the Left and VCK to compromise on progressive values,” effectively placing responsibility on the BJP’s polarizing agenda rather than on DMK policies
Defending DMK on Vijay-TVK Issues (October 2025)
In the recent Karur stampede case involving actor Vijay’s rally, Thirumavalavan criticized police for not acting against Vijay while filing cases against others. However, rather than attacking DMK directly, he raised questions about “underground dealing between DMK and Vijay” while simultaneously alleging that “BJP is trying to save Vijay”.
Despite expressing frustration that “even while being in the ruling alliance, we are being targeted”, Thirumavalavan consistently chooses alliance preservation, stating: “politics cannot be based on one or two incidents. We have to think about the broader good of Tamil Nadu”.
At this point, Thirumavalavan can no longer pretend to be an independent Dalit leader. His politics has been reduced to providing cover fire for the DMK while posturing as a radical. Every time the ruling party is cornered, he steps in to shift the blame onto the BJP or invent a conspiracy. If Thirumavalavan cannot speak truth to power in Tamil Nadu, he has no business running a party that claims to represent Dalit interests. The honest thing for him to do would be to either shut down VCK or rename it for what it has become — the DMK Dalit Wing.
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