Actor Vijay begins State-wide political tour with massive rally in Tiruchi

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder and actor Vijay embarked on his first State-wide political tour from Tiruchi on Saturday, launching a broadside against the “fascist” BJP government at the Centre and “poison” DMK government in the State.

Accusing the two parties of “betraying” and “tormenting” the people, Mr. Vijay, while speaking in Tiruchi and Ariyalur, declared that the TVK’s objective was to free Tamil Nadu of poverty, nepotism, and corruption and usher in a true and conscientious democracy. The event in Tiruchi turned out to be a huge show of strength and an impromptu rally, which brought parts of city to a standstill, as thousands of party cadre and fans marched with Mr. Vijay from the airport to Marakkadai, where he addressed his supporters.

Addressing the gathering, he criticised the BJP for extending step-motherly treatment to Tamil Nadu. “The BJP is also betraying us through the delimitation exercise by reducing the number of Lok Sabha seats and the power of south India,” he said.

“The names of 65 lakh voters were missing from the electoral rolls in Bihar. As the Opposition terms it, the ‘vote theft’ is just an example of the BJP’s lowly actions. The idea of ‘one nation-one election’ is an attempt to dislodge all State governments and hold simultaneous elections as the BJP rule at the Centre is certain to end in 2029. It will be nothing but murder of democracy,” Mr. Vijay alleged.

Hitting out at the State government, he wondered how many of the DMK’s 2021 poll promises have been fulfilled. “They listed 505 promises and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin claims to have fulfilled most of them. But that was far from reality,” he said.

Listing various pre-poll assurances such as abolition of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, the waiver of education loans, reintroduction of old pension scheme, and filling vacancies in government, Mr. Vijay wondered whether the DMK had kept the promises. “They promised to do so much. Did they? Will you vote for them?” he asked.

The TVK, if voted to power, would never compromise on ensuring basic amenities for people, safety of women, and law and order. “We will promise only what we can do,” he said.

In an oblique reference to the criticism against him for calling the Chief Minister ‘uncle’ at the Madurai State conference, he said: “Our enemies abuse me and take offence even if I refer to them reverentially.”

He likened his visit to Tiruchi to the yesteryear practice of offering prayers to the family deity before going to war. “Anything that is launched in Tiruchi is bound to be a turning point,” he said, citing historical precedents such as former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai choosing Tiruchi in 1956 to announce his entry into electoral politics and M.G. Ramachandran holding his party’s first State conference in the city. “Tiruchi has a rich history — Periyar lived here — and the city is known for communal harmony and being an educational hub,” he remarked.

Earlier, it took nearly five hours for Mr. Vijay to travel 8 km to reach the venue from the Tiruchi Airport, where he had arrived from Chennai on a chartered flight. However, the event ended in disappointment for thousands of party cadre and fans, who braved the sweltering heat for over five hours, as a technical glitch in the audio system rendered most of his speech unintelligible.