Actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is BJP's C team: DMK minister

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu law minister S. Regupathy on Monday criticised Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), founded by actor Vijay, calling it the 'C' team of the BJP.

Speaking to reporters, Regupathy said, "Vijay said that he was not the A team or B team or any other party, but he is the C team of the BJP."

Calling TVK's 'action plans' a copycat of the DMK, Regupathy said that Vijay proved that one cannot keep the Dravidian model of govt out of Tamil Nadu by releasing a photocopy of the DMK's policies.

In response to a question on why Vijay did not criticise the AIADMK, Regupathy said that Vijay's speech was aimed at bringing the AIADMK cadres into his party, and so he did not criticise the party.

In the first conference of TVK held in Vikravandi on Sunday, the party released its action plans and ideologies. There were criticisms that many of the policies, such as the two-language policy, opposition to the governor, 'ondre kulam, oruvane thevan', and so on, resembled those of the DMK.
Vijay attacks DMK in TVK's first conference

Laying down a clear political agenda for his newly launched party and identifying his main rivals, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founder and actor Vijay indicated that DMK was TVK’s political enemy and BJP his ideological enemy.

In a 50-minute speech at TVK’s maiden political conference at Vikravandi in Villupuram district on Sunday, Vijay said he was open to forming alliances for the 2026 assembly election and that he would share power with his allies. “Though we are confident of majority on our own, we will share power with our allies,” he said.

Vijay made a grand entry on Sunday evening, earlier than scheduled, as thousands of TVK cadres and fans, who poured into the massive ground cheered. He walked a long ramp built right in the centre of the ground as hysterical fans and cadres threw party shawls at him. He picked up afew and draped them around his neck. Huge cutouts of Periyar E V Ramasamy, K Kamaraj, B R Ambedkar, queen Velu Nachiyar and freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal, lined either side of the stage.

Vijay, in his mostly extem pore speech, said “corrupt forces are ruling TN at present”. He said TVK’s ideological enemy was the party that drives a divisive agenda and the political enemy was the party that speaks of ‘Dravidian model govt’, but practices corruption.

“We can identify divisive politics as it will expose itself. But we won’t be able to spot corruption and what form it is. It will come with an ideological mask. These corrupt forces are ruling us now,’’ he said.