Since actor Vijay’s first conference for the TVK on 27 October 2024, the political landscape has intensified, as the new party has emerged and he indirectly labeled the DMK as a political adversary, directly attacking it. While the DMK’s allies have been cautious in their responses, senior leaders from the party have commented, yet prominent figures like party chief MK Stalin remain silent.
TVK’s entry into the political arena appears to complicate the vote share for the Dravidian major more than for any other party, as they all operate under similar ideologies. Below are some comments from various political leaders on this development.
BJP
H Raja
BJP State Coordinator H. Raja addressed the press at the Erode BJP office, stating that the party’s relationship with TVK or Vijay will not significantly impact the BJP. However, he noted that it could have repercussions for the Dravidian parties.
H. Raja said, “Ideologically we believe in nationalism point of view but he is a Dravidian stock who speaks about separatism so our vote bank will not be affected.” When the press questioned him about declaring him as part of the Dravidian stock, Raja responded, “What’s the doubt about it? He is part of the Dravidian stock. Therefore, if you ask whose votes he might split, it would be the Dravidian stocks vote, because of that only the DMK could ultimately weaken,” he continued, “He should say more such as ‘union government’ should speak of Dravidian stocks, he should erect more EVR hoardings. I wish that and I hope Vijay would help me by speaking more about Dravidian Stock split the vote and help us.”
Tamilisai Soundararajan
Speaking to a private TV news channel Tamilisai Soundararajan said, “First of all, I want to congratulate his new party and the same time I extend my best wishes to his fans and cadres. However, we can’t consider him as a strong opposition party with a solid ideology; it feels more like watching a movie.” She continued, “He has declared Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to be a political enemy and has opposed them severely. In that regard, I believe this as a healthy situation, especially as corruption has become rampant, there is dynasty rule and people are being cheated. He implicitly positions himself as an ideological adversary of the BJP, but I think there’s some justification in saying his perspective is flawed.”
She cited examples like the NEET examination, where government students without reservations have secured medical seats. She also criticized his two-language policy, pointing out that his own movie is being released in multiple languages. She argued that Vijay’s view of the central government as a disruptive force is misguided, especially considering that people have voted for the BJP for the third time and that 2.7 million minorities have joined the party. Thus, she concluded that his perspective on the BJP is flawed.
Then she praised Vijay’s principles, such as, “Declaring we worship God and atheism is not our policy, Similarly, paid tribute to all the freedom fighters, proudly mentioned the palm tree, said that we will declare Padhaneer as state drink, said that we will fight against corruption, all this is a healthy atmosphere.”
DMK & Its Alliance
Regupathy
The DMK appeared to be the most affected by the TVK conference, especially since Vijay indirectly referred to the DMK as a “Dravidian model” government. In response, Law Minister Regupathy remarked that TVK’s ideology was merely a “xerox copy” of the DMK’s.
Regupathy said, “It is evident from the xerox copy of their announcement yesterday that the principles of the Dravida model government cannot be removed from the people. They have given some explanation of our principles. As of now we have seen the political parties A team and B team, they are BJP’s C team.”
RS Bharathi
DMK organizing secretary R.S. Bharathi compared the party to a banyan tree in response to Vijay’s remarks. “There’s a Tamil proverb that says the tree that bears fruit gets stoned. We can endure any attacks directed at us,” he said, addressing Vijay’s indirect criticism of the DMK. On the criticisms aimed at the Dravidian model of governance, he noted that several people, including the Governor, have spoken out against it, adding, “We are not concerned about that.”
Later in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin declined to comment on Vijay’s speech, stating he hadn’t seen it. However, earlier, he mentioned he “greets” Vijay when asked about him. “I’ll respond after I’ve had a chance to watch his speech,” he told reporters following the conclusion of the TVK meeting.
Congress
Selvaperunthagai
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai refrained from directly criticizing or welcoming a recent statement of actor Vijay, opting instead a cautious approach. During a press conference at the airport, he indicated that they should “wait and watch” to see how the situation unfolds. He said, “Naturally change is inevitable everywhere, the BJP rule will change. Change is the only constant, and everyone knows this; it’s nothing new.” Then to comments that Vijay is a child that can play with politics the snake Selvaperunthagai replied, in response to comments that referred to Vijay as a child playing with snake (politics), Selvaperunthagai said, “When we were young, we were playing by catching the snakes. I will share my thoughts after I see what he has said, opinion and the direction he is taking.”
VCK – Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi
In the meantime, leaders from DMK’s ally VCK expressed differing opinions. Party general secretary and Villupuram MP D. Ravikumar suggested that judging a movie by its trailer is premature, indicating that it’s too soon to determine if Vijay will follow through on his statements.
Conversely, VCK deputy general secretary Aadhav Arjuna noted that his party’s stance on power-sharing is gaining traction across the state and praised actor Vijay’s comments on the matter.
Seeman – Naam Tamilar Katchi
Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Coordinator Seeman addressed the media in Madurai, sated, “If Vijay claims that Dravidianism and Tamil nationalism are like two eyes, that directly contradicts our philosophy. Dravidian and Tamil Nationalism are not the same. They are fundamentally different. This is about the politics of my country and my nation, focused on Tamil national politics. While Vijay shares some of our views, we have notable disagreements.”
Our conflict lies in language policy. For us, Tamil is our mother tongue, the medium of study, and the language of instruction. Other languages can be learned, if necessary, but we cannot prioritize them over Tamil.
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