CHENNAI: The high and mighty of the ruling DMK finally ended their eerie silence against Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founder Vijay on Saturday and launched a reactionary blitzkrieg to the actor-politician calling the incumbent Dravidian model regime a 'monarchy', a covert reference to the rise of Stalin junior in the DMK and the office of deputy CM.
Asked about the monarchy reference at the book launch event attended by actor Vijay, an evasive Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "I do not watch cinema news." When reporters persisted with queries about the VCK deputy general secretary calling for the end of 'monarchy' in 2026, and a person must not become CM by virtue of birth, which was seconded by actor Vijay, a visibly agitated Udhayanidhi, also the secretary of the DMK youth wing, said, "Who is Chief Minister by birth? He (MK Stalin) became a Chief Minister after being elected by the people. Does that man not even have that knowledge?"
Rebuffing Vijay's interpretation of the 200-seat target set by Stalin as hubris, a confident DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, said, "If we continue to work with dedication, as Thalapathy (Stalin) says, I will say with arrogance, we will definitely win 200 seats."
Earlier in the day, HR and CE minister PK Sekar Babu, responding to Vijay's criticism of Stalin, said, "Some political ignoramus, who has not come to the field, is criticising that the DMK's plan of winning 200 seats (in 2026) will not succeed. We will win all 234 in the 2026 Assembly polls. We will march on. Our speed will not reduce till we make Stalin the CM."
State Law minister S Regupathy said, "We will form the government in 2026 and 2029. So, everyone pounces on us and not others. DMK alliance will win more than 200 seats. That is our target. What he (Vijay) says will happen in cinema with a big director, actors and art director. In politics, it will not."
Offering to clarify the matter, Regupathy said, "Our deputy CM only said he will not follow cinema news. He only said that he would not yield to their plan of growing big in politics by targeting us (DMK). He did not underestimate anyone. He thinks it is a sheer waste to reply to him (Vijay)."