CHENNAI: CPM State secretary P Shanmugam on Thursday questioned actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay for remaining silent over the delay by the censor board in issuing a certificate for his film Jana Nayagan, which led to the cancellation of its scheduled worldwide release on Friday.

In a post on X, Shanmugam alleged that the censor board was deliberately dragging its feet in issuing the certification, forcing the makers to call off the release.

He said Vijay had chosen not to speak out on the delay, and suggested that the silence stemmed from a fear that criticising the board could be construed as criticism of the Union Bharatiya Janata Party government.

According to Shanmugam, even if the film’s release was stalled, Vijay appeared content to remain quiet as long as his own interests were protected.

He also questioned the purpose of the anxiety and protests expressed by others, asking what would ultimately be achieved by such reactions.