TVK president Vijay condemns detention of opposition MPs during Delhi protest

CHENNAI: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor Vijay on Monday condemned the detention of opposition MPs, including Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, during a protest march in New Delhi.

Vijay said the detention took place when opposition members, led by Rahul Gandhi, marched from Parliament to the Election Commission of India's headquarters to demand free and fair elections and to oppose the SIR of the electoral roll in Bihar.

Recalling his remarks at the launch of the book ‘Anaivarukkumana Thalaivar Ambedkar’ in December 2024, he said, “If our country is to achieve complete development, democracy must be safeguarded. To safeguard democracy, the Constitution must be protected. Each citizen has a duty and responsibility in this regard. We have already stated that the foundation of democracy is free and fair elections, and that election commissioners should be appointed through consensus.”

He added that when the special revision of the electoral roll in Bihar was announced, TVK was the first political party from Tamil Nadu to raise concerns that the move could undermine democratic rights. "As we have said before, I urge that elections be conducted in a manner that ensures public confidence and upholds democratic principles, " Vijay said in a statement.