Vijay addresses a public meeting, in Erode.
Erode: Invoking AIADMK legends M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa by borrowing their “DMK is an evil force” phrase to launch a blistering attack on the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, actor-politician Vijay on Thursday said he was not opposed to welfare schemes, an integral part of the state’s polity, and derided those who described them as “freebies.”
In his 20-minute speech at the first public meeting of TVK after the tragic death of 41 people in Karur on September 27, Vijay projected himself as the “primary anti-DMK force” in Tamil Nadu by sending a message to AIADMK that its leaders do not belong only to the party but to the people of the state.
A section of crowd at Vijay's rally.
Credit: DH Photo/ETB Sivapriyan
More than once, he invoked MGR and Jayalalithaa and lavishly praised social reformer Periyar, who hailed from Erode, and DMK founder C N Annadurai saying the TVK was taking a leaf out of their political strategies to recreate history in 2026.
‘Catering to fans’
Though Vijay skirted important topics like Thiruparankundram temple row, the repealing of MNREGA, and SIR, the actor’s speech, which was cinematic at times, catered to his fans who lapped up every word of his speech and kept screaming ‘Thalapathy’ and TVK.
In a carefully devised strategy, Vijay placed people at the centre of his speech by making his address interactive at times and asking them to respond whether the DMK has fulfilled promises made to people during the 2021 elections. “Did you hear what they say, CM sir? If not, we will make you hear next year,” he told Chief Minister M K Stalin.
The atmosphere at the rally was electrifying with the 30,000 crowd patiently waiting for three hours to have a glimpse of the actor and listen to his speech – the TVK had learnt lessons from the Karur episode as the people attending the public meeting were given access to drinking water and washrooms.
Vijay too paused his speech for two minutes after an unruly fan climbed atop a pole and refused to climb down, in a departure from his earlier actions of ignoring their actions.
By termed as “strength” the induction of AIADMK veteran K A Sengottaiyan into the party and giving an assurance that people joining from other political parties will get due recognition, Vijay sent out a clear message that he was willing to accommodate experienced leaders as he realizes the need for them.
‘DMK is an evil force’
As usual, the DMK faced the maximum attacks in Vijay's speech, but his real target, at least for the 2026 elections, seems to be the AIADMK, which has been controlling the anti-DMK narrative and votes for four decades, and its drifting voters.
“I used to wonder why MGR and Jayalalithaa used a certain phrase for the DMK. I now understand. I say DMK is an evil force and I repeat, DMK is an evil force. We (TVK) are a pure force. The 2026 contest is between the evil DMK and the pure TVK,” Vijay thundered to his supporters.
“DMK is an evil force” – this often-repeated statements by MGR and Jayalalithaa helped the AIADMK to emerge as the primary force against the now 75-year-old party. For the duo, the phrase was not a mere rhetoric, but a powerful tool to get people to vote for them – the AIADMK ruled for about 30 years after the Dravidian narrative became the order of the day in 1967.
By taking the names of MGR and Jayalalithaa and imitating them, Vijay continues to send a message to traditional anti-DMK voters (read AIADMK) to shift loyalty to him from the AIADMK and stand behind him for he vehemently attacks the DMK.
Vijay also answered critics on his approach of “criticising only the DMK” saying he cannot waste his time on talking about “parties that are not even in the contest”, in a veiled attack on the AIADMK, BJP, and Tamil nationalist party, NTK. “They cannot decide who I should attack and who I should not. I am taking on the party that is in the contest,” he added.
Accusing the DMK of working round-the-clock to “stifle his growth”, Vijay posed a series of questions to Stalin seeking to know whether he was running a government or exhibition.
“The DMK’s only agenda is to discredit and quote out of context what I say in public. I want to categorically assert that we are in support of welfare politics. Doing good for people from their money is not a freebie; I condemn those who use the word freebie. But nobody should keep reminding people that they are giving things for free,” Vijay said in a swipe at the ruling party.