ERODE: TVK president Vijay on Thursday tore into the DMK, terming the ruling party an “evil force”, a phrase coined by AIADMK stalwarts MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa to target the Dravidian major.
“I am repeating what they (MGR and Jayalalithaa) said: the DMK is a ‘theeya sakthi’ (evil force),” Vijay said during a public meeting at Vijayamangalam in Erode – his first in Tamil Nadu after the September 27 Karur rally wherein 41 people were killed in a stampede. He had held a closed-door meeting with a select audience in Kancheepuram after that, apart from addressing a rally in Puducherry.
Describing the TVK as a “thooya sakthi” (pure force), Vijay said, “The political battle is between the TVK and the DMK alone.”
Criticising the DMK, the actor-politician said, “Whatever we say the DMK is spreading slander against us (TVK). MGR and Madam Jayalalithaa had already criticised the DMK as an evil force. I didn’t understand their harsh criticisms of the DMK at the time. But now I understand. I am now repeating what they said: ‘the DMK is an evil force’. Our party is a pure force. The political contest is between the TVK and the DMK alone.”
Vijay then went on to praise Periyar and former chief ministers CN Annadurai and MGR. He said, “Periyar is our policy leader. We adopted our electoral approaches from CN Annadurai and MGR, who accepted Periyar as their mentor. Anna and MGR are assets of TN.
None can complain against drawing inspiration from them or invoking their names. We are doing politics in a certain way. Some are saying that they do not consider us important. Then why are they afraid of us? The DMK, while claiming to follow Periyar’s principles, is looting TN. Therefore, the DMK is our enemy.”
He also alleged that the DMK has not considered the demands of farmers, daily wage labourers, weavers, and those in the industrial sector. “Without offering solutions to people’s issues, they proudly call themselves a ‘model government’,” he said. At the event, Vijay clarified that some of the things he said in Kancheepuram have been misunderstood, and that he is not against freebies.
Vijay addressed the gathering from atop his campaign bus near the Vijayamangalam Toll Plaza in Perundurai. His speech lasted for 33 minutes. TVK’s chief coordinator K A Sengottaiyan, general secretary Bussy N Anand and others were present.
Youth climbs speaker pole to see Vijay
Despite strict restrictions at the venue, a youth climbed the speaker pole in the middle of the crowd while Vijay was speaking. He then blew flying kisses to Vijay. But Vijay, who lovingly reprimanded him, said he would reciprocate only if he came down. Then as the youth obliged him, Vijay blew flying kisses.
Attendees were boxed up to avoid chaos
ERODE: Barring a few hiccups, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s public meeting in Vijayamangalam of Erode district went on smoothly, said District Superintendent of Police A Sujatha, attributing it to ‘proper planning’ by the police.
Sujatha told TNIE, “We faced some challenges at TVK’s public meeting. The party’s cadres started arriving early in the morning. I went to the venue at 5.45 am and around 250 cadres had arrived, including 25 women. Two people, including a woman, fainted later. They were given first aid and recovered. No major damages were reported.”
“We allowed the crowd into the boxes set up with steel barriers. First, we allowed VIPs into the front boxes, then women, followed by men. About 72 boxes, each capable of accommodating 500 people, were set up. After the meeting concluded, we allowed the cadres to leave box by box. Around 1,800 police personnel from various districts were deployed.”
However, the police only allowed about 80% of the people in each box as a precautionary measure. Cadres were also waiting outside the public meeting venue. K Kalivani of Mettur in Salem said, “I arrived with my friends at 1.30 am. However, since the police did not allow us inside, we stayed on the roadside. We came to see Vijay. We will vote for him as we have faith in him.”