Chennai: Actor-turned-politician Vijay Thalapathy on Sunday slammed the DMK for cheating in the name of Dravidian model.
Eight months after launching his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the Tamil superstar held his maiden political rally in Villupuram district, from where he announced TVK’s ideology and goals.
Addressing an estimated 3 lakh people, who turned up undeterred by the heat, Vijay alleged that “one family” is looting the state by doing “underground dealing”, reported The Indian Express.
The State Conference of his newly-formed party TVK, which showcased his popularity in no uncertain terms, marks Vijay’s formal launch into the world of politics.
The party, he stressed, will focus on equality, social justice, secularism, promotion of Tamil as the administrative language in courts and removal of the post of Governor.
Talking about TVK’s ideology, Vijay said they were not going to ‘separate Dravidian Nationalism and Tamil Nationalism’.
“They are two eyes of this soil. We shouldn’t shrink ourselves to any specific identity,” Vijay said, adding that TVK’s ideology was based on secular social justice ideologies and the party’s actions will be based on that.
Vijay said he had faith in the people of Tamil Nadu to vote and make TVK the single largest party in the 2026 Assembly elections.
He added if parties wanted to form an alliance with TVK after that, it would give them a share in the government. Vijay also asserted that women would play a vital role in his political career.
Hailing Periyar as an inspirational leader, the 50-year-old actor said his party was aligned with the philosophies of the towering figure in Tamil Nadu’s social justice movement.
“Yes, Periyar is our ideological leader. Our party respects all religious beliefs, yet we uphold principles like women’s education, women empowerment, and social justice that Periyar advocated. These are the values we will carry forward,” Vijay said.
He added that Dr BR Ambedkar, architect of India’s Constitution, is TVK’s ideological leader for having dedicated his life to social equity.
“Those who seek to divide society are often threatened by Ambedkar’s legacy alone,” he said.
