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In first rally after Karur stampede, Vijay calls DMK ‘evil’, TVK ‘pure’
Actor-turned-politician Vijay branded the DMK as an “evil force” and positioned his party, TVK, as a “pure” alternative for the 2026 assembly elections.
Actor-turned-politician Vijay returned to the Tamil Nadu political stage on Thursday with a sharp, emotionally charged pitch, branding the ruling DMK an “evil force” and projecting his fledgling party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), as a “pure” alternative ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
The rally in Erode marked his first major public meeting in the state since the deadly Karur stampede in September that claimed 41 lives.
Striking a confrontational tone, Vijay said Tamil Nadu’s political battle had narrowed to a straight fight between what he called the “theeya sakthi” (evil force) DMK and the “thooya sakthi” (pure force) TVK. Echoing phrases once used by late AIADMK leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, he said he now understood why they were so harsh in their criticism of the DMK.
“The contest is now between the thooya sakthi TVK and theeya sakthi DMK,” he said, as quoted by news agency PTI. Vijay attacked the DMK on multiple fronts, such as law and order, agriculture, education, and the economy.
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At the same time, Vijay rooted his politics in Dravidian legacy and local pride. Calling Periyar the “Iron Man of Erode”, he said Periyar laid the ideological foundation of Tamil Nadu, while Anna and MGR showed how to win elections, which are legacies that belonged to the people, not one party, according to an India Today report. He dismissed criticism over invoking these icons and alleged a sustained smear campaign against him by vested interests.
The rally carried symbolic weight, coming near the home turf of former AIADMK heavyweight KA Sengottaiyan, who recently joined TVK and was presented as a major boost to the party. Vijay hinted that more leaders would soon follow.
(With PTI inputs)
