Despite claiming himself as an alternative to the ruling DMK and calling the DMK as its political adversary, part-time politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay has once again chosen not to extend wishes for Chithirai 1—the Tamil New Year celebrated by Tamils across the globe. This marks the second consecutive year he has skipped the occasion since launching his political party.
Instead of directly wishing “Tamil Puthandu Vaazhthukkal”, Vijay struck an elusive note like a filtered Dravidian Stock extending “Chithirai Thirunaal wishes”
அனைவருக்கும் இனிய சித்திரைத் திருநாள் நல்வாழ்த்துகள்!
— TVK Vijay (@TVKVijayHQ) April 14, 2025
While Vijay previously faced backlash for ignoring Hindu festivals, he later corrected course by extending greetings for Ayudha Pooja, Saraswati Pooja, and Vijayadasami. However, his continued silence on Chithirai 1—a centuries-old tradition deeply rooted in Tamil culture—raises eyebrows.
Many see this as aligning, whether intentionally or not, with the DMK’s stance of promoting the Tamil month of Thai as the New Year instead. Critics argue that Vijay’s refusal to acknowledge Chithirai 1 reflects a subtle endorsement of the Dravidian ideological narrative, under the guise of opposing the DMK. Rather than challenging the ruling party’s cultural positions, his silence appears to reinforce them, leading some to question his true political motives.
On Chithirai 1, instead of extending greetings for the Tamil New Year, Vijay chose to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution. His gesture, however, wasn’t without political undertones—widely interpreted as an attempt to appeal to the VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi) chief Thirumavalavan. Through his official social media account, Vijay shared, “On the occasion of the 135th birth anniversary of our Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s ideologue, Ambedkar, I paid my respects by garlanding his statue in Palavakkam, Chennai. On the birth anniversary of Ambedkar, who dedicated his life to the people, emphasizing that not only legal rights, but also social justice, equality and brotherhood are for everyone, let us honor him. Let us resolve to eliminate inequalities in our society and maintain equality forever.”
In the videos and photos shared by Vijay, the Ambedkar statue was surrounded by VCK-flagged stickers featuring the image of VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan. This has led to widespread speculation that Vijay is strategically trying to woo Thirumavalavan and potentially secure an alliance with the VCK ahead of the 2026 elections.
நமது தமிழக வெற்றிக் கழகத்தின் கொள்கைத் தலைவர் அண்ணல் அம்பேத்கர் அவர்களின் 135ஆவது பிறந்த நாளையொட்டி, சென்னை, பாலவாக்கத்தில் உள்ள அவரது திருவுருவச் சிலைக்கு மாலை அணிவித்து மரியாதை செலுத்தினேன்.
சட்ட உரிமைகள் மட்டுமில்லை, சமூகநீதி, சமத்துவம், சகோதரத்துவம் ஆகியவையும்… pic.twitter.com/JTS2U0Ue4v
— TVK Vijay (@TVKVijayHQ) April 14, 2025
Vijay has blatantly avoided wishing Hindus for Hindu festivals such as Tamil Puthandu, Vinayakar Chathurthi, and Krishna Jayanti. In contrast, he wished for Onam, Ramzan, Easter, and neutral special days such as Labour Day, Independence Day, etc.
Actions like these indicate that Vijay is also set to walk the Dravidianist ideology path and further strengthen the claims that his party is only DMK 2.0. In that case, Vijay should consider renaming his party from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to Dravida Vettri Kazhagam.
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