Former DMK minister and MLA Palanivel Thiaga Rajan’s attempt to turn Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s appearance at the Michelin Le Mans Cup race at Silverstone into a commentary on Tamil Nadu’s governance has drawn a sharp response from former senior vigilance and anti-corruption officer J Anbazhagan, who questioned PTR’s silence over corruption allegations involving the previous DMK government.
PTR took aim at the media after several outlets highlighted Vijay flagging off the race at the iconic Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom on Saturday, September 12, where actor-turned-racer Ajith Kumar was competing.
Responding to ANI founder Smita Prakash’s praise for the event, PTR dismissed the attention around Vijay’s appearance as an example of misplaced media priorities, linking it to alleged law-and-order and power-supply problems in Tamil Nadu.
Smita Prakash had written, “Wellwellwell….Brad Pitt & Tom Cruise of India? Tamil Nadu chief minister flags off UK race with another actor & his friend Ajith as participant. Profile of TN certainly rising with Vijay at the helm. No missteps so far:”
Wellwellwell….Brad Pitt & Tom Cruise of India? Tamil Nadu chief minister flags off UK race with another actor & his friend Ajith as participant. Profile of TN certainly rising with Vijay at the helm. No missteps so far pic.twitter.com/KWcVYXdenG
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) September 13, 2026
PTR responded, “No better sign of the times than media houses from Chennai to Delhi climbing all over each other to hype this “race” in rural England, while Tamil Nadu suffers rampant crime and ubiquitous power cuts… The people get the government, and the parasitic media, they deserve…”
His remarks, however, prompted former senior vigilance and anti-corruption officer J Anbazhagan to turn the spotlight back on the DMK’s record on corruption and PTR’s own response to allegations concerning the previous government.
Replying to PTR, Anbazhagan recalled his association with the Dravidian professional forum headed by the former minister and questioned why PTR had not similarly spoken out when corruption cases involving the DMK’s “first family” were raised by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
“Respected sir, I am the one who contributed articles on anticorruption to Dravidian professional forum headed by you. Surprisingly you never opened your mouth against the first family when corruption cases were dug by @TVKVijayHQ. Now you have shown your angst media.”
Respected sir, I am the one who contributed articles on anticorruption to Dravidian professional forum headed by you. Surprisingly you never opened your mouth against the first family when corruption cases were dug by @TVKVijayHQ. Now you have shown your angst media.
— J.Anbazhagan (@job_anbalagan) September 13, 2026
The exchange comes after Vijay, who took charge as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, officially flagged off the Michelin Le Mans Cup race at Silverstone, one of Britain’s most prominent motorsport venues. Ajith Kumar, who has pursued professional motorsport alongside his acting career, was among the participants.
The event received considerable attention in the Indian media, particularly because Vijay became one of the few sitting chief ministers to take part in the ceremonial flag-off of an international motorsport event involving another prominent Indian actor.
While the event was projected by supporters as a symbol of Tamil Nadu’s growing international profile, PTR sought to frame the coverage as a distraction from issues within the state. His response, however, quickly shifted the discussion from the race itself to his own record of criticism of the DMK government and his position on corruption allegations.
Anbazhagan’s intervention particularly challenged the former minister over what he described as his silence when corruption allegations were being pursued against members of the previous ruling establishment.
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