VILLUPURAM: It was a clear show of strength for Vijay’s TVK as, according to police sources, around five to six lakh people turned up at the venue on Sunday. The air was filled with youthful optimism, as cheers and slogans did not die down even after a tiring day. Some fans had been waiting at the venue since Saturday night.
As the 85-acre venue filled up, more people gathered in nearby open spaces. Vijay arrived at 4.01 pm and greeted cadres from the 600m ramp by accepting and wearing shawls thrown by supporters. The event officially began with Tamil Thaai Vaazthu and the national anthem. Cultural programmes entertained the crowd before Vijay’s arrival.
Vijay began his speech after seeking blessings from his parents, film director SA Chandrasekar and Shoba. Young women at the conference said they had a ‘goosebumps moment’ when Velu Naachiyar’s name came up during Vijay’s speech on Sunday. “As a kid, we were told by our family to be bold as ‘Veera Mangai’ Velu Naachiyar but no political party has led with her at the front, like our anna, Vijay,” said H Priya (20), from Thuraiyur.
There were also overenthusiastic fans, and one woman even managed to make her way on the ramp. She had to be coaxed into getting down by ‘Bussy’ Anand. Police had to resort to mild lathi charge to manage the crowd near the stage as Vijay’s speech concluded.
However, not everyone was convinced by his speech. “It seems to be a group of generic statements, peripherally touching upon federalism, anti-Hindi, caste annihilation, and women empowerment, among Tamil people. I expected a more nuanced speech,” K Prabhu (23), from Villupuram said.
Fans were also left disappointed as Vijay did not pay homage or observe silence for people who died on their way to the conference on Sunday.
Videos explaining about the flag and party name played only after Vijay’s departure, but many had left and did not wait for the vote of thanks either.
(With inputs from Bagalavan Perier B @ Vikravandi)