TVK chief Vijay resumes poll campaign, targets ruling DMK for 'loot, dynasty politics'
Chennai (PTI): Tamilaga Vettri Kazhgam chief Vijay on Sunday resumed his campaign for the 2026 Assembly election after a break of nearly 2 months and without directly naming the ruling DMK, accused it of a 'loot' of Rs 4,730 crore via illegal sand mining.
He also indirectly levelled the allegation of dynasty politics against it and claimed that the ruling party had forgotten its founder CN Annadurai's diktat of 'go to the people.'
Addressing party workers, fans and the public at an auditorium in Kancheepuram district, Vijay, avoiding a direct reference, alleged that DMK's ideology was only to loot. "They just talk about ideology, mortgaging all their principles, acting as if they alone have leased all principles. Isn't their ideology is just to loot? Do you think people don't know all this?
Asserting that Palar River is the lifeline of Kancheepuram region, he said such a life giving river has been degraded and ruined by those merely using the names of social reformer "Periyar" EV Ramasamy and Anna. He said these were not casual remarks and alleged a loot of a "small amount of Rs 4,730 crore" by way of illegal sand mining as about 22.70 lakh units of sand was mined by exceeding the permitted level.
"They cannot ask for evidence as it is in court and with the Enforcement Directorate...if sand is looted, water bodies will be destroyed, agriculture will be destroyed and if agriculture is destroyed, farmers will be destroyed. In total, all of us will have to be completely destroyed. Have you ever heard of a party forming a syndicate to loot, from top to bottom?
The fledgling TVK's chief indirectly levelled the allegation of dynasty politics against the DMK by recalling late party patriarch M Karunanidhi’s assertion --made in the distant past-- that his party was not Kancheepuram "Sankara Math".
The late DMK patriarch had made that remark, in a particular context, to reiterate that the party decided its chief and someone was not appointed to the top post just like that as it happened in a monastery.
Using rhyming words from Tamil, Vijay ridiculed the DMK in the context of its 75 years of its founding and accused it of pretension. While the TVK was "yet to start hitting out at the DMK" the ruling party was rattled. The DMK, founded in 1949 marked its 75th anniversary last year.
The TVK leader said while AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran placed iconic leader Annadurai’s image on his party flag, he wondered if there is a need to explain what happened to the party (DMK) founded by Anna after his demise.
"But do I need to tell you what the people who later seized the party started by Arignar Anna are doing? You know it well," he said. DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, became chief minister and party chief following Anna’s death in 1969.
The TVK founder asserted that personally, he and his party had no problem with the DMK though the ruling party may have malice towards them, "but we are not like that at all."
Vijay alleged that the DMK deceived the people by lying and by making people trust them, it got their votes. "They came to power by deception and are now acting as if they are doing good, aren't they? he said and accused the DMK of enacting a drama. He asked: "How can we not question them. We are not going to stop questioning them."
He had a connect to Kancheepuram district, the home turf of iconic Dravidian leader Annadurai. It was here he launched his first outreach initiative in January 2025 following the launch of his party the TVK. At the maiden outreach event, he voiced support to the villagers who opposed the Parandur airport project.
People gave him everything and he is committed to serve them by embracing Anna’s "Makkalidam Sel" diktat (Go to the people). "But who forgot Anna who said Makkalidam Sel, he asked apparently hitting out at the DMK.
Vijay slammed the DMK for questioning his party, the TVK, over its ideology and asserted that his party was founded on solid ideological standpoints, and it begins with the principle of equality and had, among other things, demanded a caste census.
The ruling DMK, led by Chief Minister and party president M K Stalin, which threw its ideology to the wind was questioning the TVK for not having any ideology. Equality and social justice were among the core of the ideology of the TVK, Vijay asserted and wondered how the chief minister could hurl such an accusation when his party had demanded caste census and opposed the CAA.
Also, the party opposed Wafq law amendment and went to the Supreme Court. Unlike the DMK, which made empty claims on ending NEET, the TVK batted for moving education from concurrent to state list of the Constitution. "Don't we have an ideology when we spoke strongly about equality and equal opportunity?
In filmi style, he reiterated that the contest is going to be between the DMK and his party and said as soon as permission is granted to conduct rallies, it would be done.
Following the September 27 stampede at Karur, this is the first time Vijay addressed his party workers, fans and the people as well, marking the resumption of his campaign ahead of the state election next year.
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Ayush signs off with silver at Badminton Asia Championships
Ningbo (China) (PTI): India's Ayush Shetty signed off with a silver medal after his giant-killing run ended in a straight-game loss to world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships here on Sunday.
The 20-year-old from Mangalore struggled to find his rhythm, going down 8-21, 10-21 to the reigning world champion from China, as India's 61-year wait for a men's singles gold at the event continued.
Despite the loss, it was a creditable campaign from the unseeded youngster, who became only the second Indian men's singles player after Dinesh Khanna to reach the final of the continental showpiece.
Khanna remains the only Indian singles champion at the event, having won the title in 1965. Since then, only the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have lifted the trophy, winning it in 2023.
World No. 25 Ayush entered the contest on the back of defeats to Shi at the Malaysia Super 1000 earlier this year and the Indonesia Masters last season. However, he had played with far greater control and attacking clarity this week, toppling world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, world No. 4 Jonatan Christie and world No. 7 Li Shi Feng en route to the final.
However, the Indian, a product of the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, failed to counter the tactical discipline of Shi, who used his repertoire of strokes and deception to deny Ayush the opportunity to play his natural attacking game.
Shi dictated the geometry of the court from the outset, controlling the net exchanges and forcing Ayush into the forecourt battle early. The variation in the Chinese player’s game blunted the Indian’s attack, as his smashes lacked precision and he succumbed to scoreboard pressure, leading to rushed shot-making.
Shi Yu Qi logged the opening points with two fine net dribbles to race to a 4-0 lead, as Ayush’s smashes lacked precision early on and he trailed 2-6. A long rally ended with the Chinese player going wide, offering the Indian some respite. A deceptive net shot helped Shi move to 7-4, and he extended the lead to 11-6 as Ayush struggled for control, committing a string of unforced errors.
Shi mixed it up effectively, producing a lovely drop shot and repeatedly drawing the Indian to the forecourt with cross returns like a metronome, forcing errors. Two down-the-line smashes gave Shi a massive cushion of game points, and he sealed the opening game when Ayush sprayed a return wide.
The Indian needed a complete reset to stay alive, and he responded with a thunderous straight smash before diving on both flanks to keep the shuttle in play and move to 3-1 in the second game. Shi continued to test Ayush with backhand deceptive net strokes and pushes to the deep, but the Indian managed to retrieve everything and even found his precision in time, with an on-the-line smash confirmed by Hawk-Eye and a well-constructed rally taking him to 7-2.
However, he couldn't hold on to the momentum as the Chinese clawed back to 7-7 after two long shots and a smash into the net from Ayush. A return that kissed the backline from Shi, followed by another error from Ayush at the net and a return into the net, handed the Chinese the advantage once again at the interval, as he led 11-8.
Shi’s ability to place the shuttle into empty spaces with his repertoire of strokes, often punctuated by a fierce smash, made life difficult for the Indian as he stretched the lead to 13-8. Soon, the Chinese was up 15-9 with another powerful smash.
A body return followed by a straight smash took him to 17-9, and another long shot from Ayush further dented his chances. A perfectly angled smash into the forehand corner brought Shi within two points of victory. He then unleashed a cross-court smash to earn 10 match points and sealed the contest with a return that cramped the Indian, targeting his hip.
