The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) criticised Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s visit to the United Kingdom after he attended actor-racer Ajith Kumar’s Le Mans Cup race at Silverstone, questioning the purpose of the trip.
Vijay was in the UK as part of an official visit, reportedly aimed at attracting foreign investment and studying sports infrastructure for Tamil Nadu’s proposed Motor Sports City near Chennai. During the visit, he waved the ceremonial green flag to start the Michelin Le Mans Cup race on Saturday, in which Ajith competed with his team.
DMK slams Vijay's UK trip
DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan questioned Vijay’s stated investment agenda and said, “He said that he is going to receive investment from London. But everybody saw that he had gone to see the car race of his friend Ajith,” according to NDTV.
{{/usCountry}}DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan questioned Vijay’s stated investment agenda and said, “He said that he is going to receive investment from London. But everybody saw that he had gone to see the car race of his friend Ajith,” according to NDTV.
{{/usCountry}}Deep Dive
What was the purpose of CM Vijay's trip to the UK?
Why did DMK criticize CM Vijay's visit to the UK?
How did TVK defend CM Vijay's meeting with Ajith at the race?
DMK MLA Markandeyan also criticised the Chief Minister’s UK visit, referring to issues concerning farmers and fishermen in Tamil Nadu and questioning the urgency of attracting investments at the moment.
TVK defends CM Vijay
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), however, defended Vijay’s meeting with Ajith. Party spokesperson Americai V Narayanan said there was nothing improper about Vijay meeting a friend during an official visit. He said Ajith was a major star in Tamil Nadu and an important figure in the international racing circuit, adding that Vijay’s presence could contribute to “Brand Tamil Nadu”.
Also Read: CM Vijay runs towards Ajith Kumar, gives him a tight hug at Silverstone. Watch
The controversy came after videos from Silverstone showed Vijay meeting Ajith before the race. As reported on HT, Vijay ran towards Ajith and hugged him, while Ajith personally welcomed the Chief Minister at the venue. The video of the reunion went viral on social media.
Ajith later thanked Vijay for attending the race and said they had been colleagues in the film industry for 34 years. He also expressed hope that India, particularly Chennai, could host events similar to the Le Mans series in the future. As reported on HT, Ajith praised Vijay’s interest in promoting sports and studying the infrastructure required to host such events.
Vijay’s appearance also attracted attention from international commentators. Commentators compared the combined stardom of Vijay and Ajith to Hollywood actors Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Fans shared the clip widely and celebrated the two stars appearing together.
Also Read: With ‘whistle’ symbol, EC recognises TVK as registered political party; CM Vijay thanks people
Actor Trisha Krishnan and TVK minister Aadhav Arjuna were also present at the race. Trisha was spotted with Vijay and Ajith before the race and later watched the event from the stands with Vijay and Aadhav.
According to NDTV, Vijay’s UK visit also included plans to study motorsport infrastructure and sports facilities for Tamil Nadu’s proposed Motor Sports City near Chennai. The project is expected to build on the state’s automobile and electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem, with a focus on motorsport, sports tourism, technology and entertainment.