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Actor-politician Vijay, founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, on Wednesday ridiculed the Bharatiya Janata Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for waging a hashtag war on social media 'X' and said the two parties were fighting like kindergarten kids, trivialising the serious issue of language row.
Speaking at TVK's first anniversary celebrations at Mamallapuram near here Vijay said the BJP countered the DMK's “#Get out Modi” with “#Get out Stalin” on the trilingual policy, ‘just like LKG and UKG students fight.'
"It's the Centre's duty to provide funds and its the state's rights to receive funds. But both the fascism and 'payasam' (the word TVK uses to ridicule DMK's anti fascism rhetoric), our political and ideological enemies, are playing with hashtags on social media. What's happening here? Both are pretending to fight and expect us to believe? What bro, its wrong bro,” he said evoking laughter among his party cadres.
He said the TVK respected all languages but would not give up its self respect for another language. "As an individual anyone can learn any language but violating the cooperative federalism and state autonomy, and leaving a question mark on the state language by thrusting another language and imposing it politically is unacceptable,” he said at the well attended gathering.
Vijay's remark, however, evoked spontaneous criticism from BJP state chief K Annamalai, who had launched the hashtag campaign against the Chief Minister.
He accused Vijay of "double standards" on trilingual policy and said, “what bro preach what you practise bro. Why tell lies bro?”
Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, Annamalai sought to know why election strategist and founder of Jan Suraaj Party Prashant Kishore helped the DMK to win in 2021 and was now voicing against that party.
Incidentally, the popular actor launched a #Get Out campaign on the occasion to protest against the New Education Policy. Though Vijay initiated the signature campaign, Prashant Kishore declined to sign.
Later, addressing the gathering, Kishore said every state had its own share of problems, and share of legacies. India was forced to accept the Gujarat model as the best in the country.
“I think Tamil Nadu model of development, not the governance, sans corruption, communalism and dynasty, would be the perfect development model for all other states. Tamil Nadu should get rid of the CCD," he said.
Kishore said cricketer M S Dhoni was the only popular Bihari in Tamil Nadu. If he were to emerge as a more popular Bihari than Dhoni in Tamil Nadu, then he should make no mistake.
"Next year I should contribute to TVK's victory just as Dhoni piloted the Chennai Super Kings to victory” he said.
As his TVK stepped into second year in politics since its launch last year, Vijay said he would take a leaf from the historical win of former Chief Ministers: C N Annadurai and M G Ramachandran, in the 1967 and 1977 assembly elections, and create history.
“Without compromising our party's ideological principles at any cost, I am here to collaborate and work with you towards upholding the secular and democratic ideals in TN and beyond,” he said and justified the presence of youth in his party.
Just as the two leaders won with the backing of the youth then, he would also set a record with the support of the youth, Vijay said and added that his party members hailed from ordinary families and hence would achieve ‘big.'
“We are not a party of Pannaiyars (a reference to landlords). In the past Panniayrs occupied high positions but now those who occupy high posts are turning into Pannaiyars,” he said at the event in Poonjeri near Mamallapuram.
The TVK would soon conduct a booth committee conference to gear up the party at grassroot level for the 2026 Assembly election, he added.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Press Club has condemned the alleged manhandling of journalist Elangovan by bouncers at the TVK anniversary meet and demanded an apology from Vijay over the incident.