CHENNAI: VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan defended his recent decision to meet Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who was visiting Coimbatore, saying there is nothing wrong with meeting with Union government leaders to raise the people's issues.

The VCK chief, along with the State Social Welfare Minister Vanni Arasu, met the Union minister on Sunday and submitted a detailed memorandum seeking Rs 466.33 crore in central assistance for various tribal welfare schemes in Tamil Nadu. He defended meeting the BJP leader hailing from Odisha, despite his staunch opposition to the saffron party, saying that meeting people for the benefit of Tamil Nadu's people isn't wrong.

Meanwhile, in response to statements positioning Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a potential prime ministerial candidate, the VCK president said it should not be construed as the party’s official position.

Thirumavalavan said that some TVK leaders and ministers may have expressed such views out of personal enthusiasm, but their remarks should not be taken as the party’s stand.

“Why should we discuss the prime ministerial candidate now when the next Lok Sabha election is due only in 2029? Some North Indian media organisations have unnecessarily included Vijay in the race for Prime Minister, perhaps for political reasons. This does not mean that the TVK is opposed to the Congress,” he said.

Thirumavalavan said the VCK would participate in the TVK’s second post-poll electoral meeting to be chaired by Vijay on September 9. On the law-and-order situation in the State, he said it was currently good but stressed that sustained efforts were necessary to maintain peace and security, regardless of which party was in power.

Thirumavalavan said a special law to prevent honour killings would be enacted based on the recommendations of the Justice KN Basha Committee. He said the committee had sought a nine-month extension to submit its report and expressed confidence that the recommendations would form the basis for appropriate legislation.

He also called for constructive debates in the Assembly and Parliament, saying discussions should focus on issues affecting the people rather than degenerating into confrontation. The VCK leader also criticised organisations that were promoting religious ideas under the guise of teaching yoga. “While we are committed to secular principles, religious ideas should not be promoted through such activities, as this could affect social unity,” he said.