Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Chennai: Hours before he is to land in Tamil Nadu for a school function, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday came out in support of actor-politician Vijay by terming the attempt to block Jana Nayagan movie as an “attack on Tamil culture.”
“Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people,” Rahul Gandhi wrote on his X page.
The support comes days after the Congress laid the blame for Jana Nayagan not getting Censor clearance on the BJP-led Union Government, saying the people of Tamil Nadu will not tolerate “censorship of cinemas” for political gains and bow down to “politics of intimidation.”
Though not surprising, the Congress supporting the actor by directly blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for exerting pressure on CBFC to block the censor certificate is significant given the intense speculation about the party warming up to Vijay. Congress leaders had told DH that the party’s support to Vijay should be viewed only through the prism of “artistic freedom” and not through any political angle – they said while the actor-politician is anti-DMK one should remember that he is anti-BJP as well and that it was imperative on all secular forces to support him.
They also said Rahul Gandhi had always supported Vijay whenever he faced a problem. In 2017, Rahul Gandhi tweeted in support of the actor when BJP objected to his film Mersal and spoke to Vijay after the Karur stampede that killed 41 people.
Congress’ and Rahul’s support to actor Vijay also comes close on the heels of its leaders seeking a share in power with the DMK in the 2026 assembly elections. Though the demand has created ripples, the Congress maintains that the party is still part of the DMK alliance.
Rahul Gandhi is to arrive in The Nilgiris this evening to attend an event of a private school. Though the Tamil Nadu assembly elections are just months away, Gandhi’s visit to the state does not have any political engagements, amid a visible strain in the ties between the Congress and DMK.