In 2024, when actor Joseph Vijay launched his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), he positioned himself as a critic of the Dravidian establishment and what he described as fear-based politics. Speaking at a massive rally at V. Salai near Vikravandi in Villupuram district, Vijay not only outlined his party’s ideological direction but also sharply indicated who he saw as his political adversaries.
Targeting the DMK and the larger Dravidian political ecosystem indirectly, Vijay said that there is a “crowd” that tries to assign a colour to anyone entering politics.
“There is a crowd here that for sometime has been singing the same paeans. Anybody who comes into the politics is given ‘one particular colour’. They keep fearmongering people and cheat them. But ‘these people’ (indirect reference to DMK) will put underground dealing with ‘them’ (indirect reference to BJP). During elections, they will give statements and give sounds. For them, it’s always ‘fascism’, ‘fascism’, ‘fascism’. Among the people who are united here, they fearmonger by splitting people as majority-minority and keep putting a full-time scene with it. I’m asking you – If ‘they’re fascism’, are you ‘payasam’?. You’re no better than them. You call this anti-people government as a ‘Dravida Model’ government and cheating people”, Vijay blasted the DMK.
Two years later, in the post-result political climate of 2026, those remarks have resurfaced amid controversy over social media content critical of TVK. Videos circulated widely online showing a recently elected TVK MLA from Thanjavur allegedly in an inebriated state and dancing to a Tamil film song while holding a bottle of alcohol.
The video was circulated by several accounts, including a handle named @SparkPluz_, and was later picked up by multiple media outlets and online news channels.
However, the handle later claimed that it had received a notice issued by the Cyber Crime Police Station, Thanjavur District, dated 6 May 2026, and addressed to Twitter, Inc.
செய்தி வெளியிட்டதற்காக @SparkPluz_ க்கு மிரட்டல் விடுக்கும் தவெகவினர்! https://t.co/QvYMaY0abn pic.twitter.com/y4xgL10OFP
— Spark+ (@SparkPluz_) May 7, 2026
A copy of the notice that later surfaced online showed the Tamil Nadu Police Cyber Crime Wing invoking Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act and Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, 2021, while directing X Corp to remove or disable access to multiple URLs identified as “unlawful content.”
According to the notice, the posts contained “provocative and politically sensitive remarks” capable of “inciting public unrest and disturbing public tranquility.” Authorities further stated that the content could adversely affect law and order and potentially lead to “loss of life and damage to public property.”
The document instructed X Corp to suspend or block the listed accounts and URLs within three hours of receiving the notice and described the matter as “urgent.”
Among the accounts listed were handles that had been posting videos, memes, and political commentary critical of TVK and its elected representatives.
விஜயை எதிர்த்து யாரும் பேச கூடாது என்று விஜய் முதல்வராக பதவி ஏற்ற அடுத்த நொடியே ஊடக சுதந்திரத்திற்கு முற்று புள்ளி வைக்கும் செயலை விஜய் செய்ய தொடங்கியுள்ளார். அடுத்த 5 வருடத்திற்கு The Route @TheRoute மீடியா மாப்பியா கும்பல், எதை செய்தியாக்க வேண்டும் என்று நினைக்கிறதோ அதுவே… pic.twitter.com/59oxGll1MH
— தங்கராசு வேலு (@offlThangaraj) May 10, 2026
In the complaint linked to the Thanjavur MLA video, a resident allegedly accused the account of sharing content concerning Vijay Saravanan “with the intention of defaming and demoralizing him.” Police reportedly sought IP logs and activity details connected to the account from the platform.
At the same time, several social media users claimed that the viral video itself was old and had been recorded years earlier.
The controversy triggered wider debate online, with critics alleging that the response resembled the same cyber-policing and online intimidation tactics that TVK had previously accused the DMK and its IT Wing of employing against critics and political opponents.
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