In a blistering attack on the ruling DMK, actor-turned neta and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay on Wednesday charged the Dravidian major with habitually indulging in the politics of slander and corruption since 1969 and asserted that the TVK will dethrone the Stalin government, drunk with power, in the 2026 assembly election. “Of late, a party drunk with power and arrogance has unleashed its usual play of politics of slander. Is there any other party which has slander alone as its creed? It is not even necessary to name it. Now, the sole agenda of that party is defaming the TVK with slander. No wonder they are rattled at the surging support for the TVK,” he alleged, in a lengthy statement posted on the party’s ‘X’ handle.
This comes in response to a veiled criticism and taunts of Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi on the TVK at the just-concluded ‘Arivu Thiruvizha’ (Knowledge Festival) that marked mark the platinum jubilee of the DMK. While Stalin said the DMK is not a party launched overnight with the dream of capturing power, some are daydreaming about occupying the CM gaddi, Udhayanidhi had claimed that the Dravidian major, unlike flyby night parties, is held together and driven by ideology, and was raised by the sweat and blood of its pioneers and cadre.
“After 1969, slander is their policy and corruption the political creed. They have launched a campaign with baseless charges against us in the belief that we have begun criticising them. But the truth is we are yet to start a full-fledged campaign against them. What we have done so far is only a precursor,” read the statement adding, “inability to counter us has made that party’s president to claim that no one could uproot the government, displaying arrogance of power.”
It is significant to note that Vijay makes a clear distinction in targeting the Karunanidhi era, leaving untouched the period of ‘Anna’ CN Annadurai, the DMK founder, who passed away in February 1969.
“The oft-repeated claims of the DMK in protecting the Tamil language and Tamil land as well as self-respect are mere rituals sans any substance. In the name of Arivu Thiruvizha, they have dusted their old works from the attic,” he alleged and asked, “Where has self-respect gone when you meekly capitulated before the very ones whom you had caricatured for the sake of office? While in the opposition you swear by Tamil, but once in office, you blame constitutional injunctions while in opposition. Why? What prevents you from holding the caste census?”
“Having christened the event as Arivu Thiruvizha, you have turned it into a platform for slandering the TVK. People are amused at your platinum jubilee drama,” he said.