Added secular tag to Vettri alliance, says VCK chief Thirumavalavan

CHENNAI: VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan on Friday said the word "secular" was added to the name of the alliance led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay following his suggestion, to clearly signal its opposition to the BJP and RSS and its commitment to secularism.

Thirumavalavan said Vijay had initially proposed naming the alliance the "Social Justice Victory Alliance" and sought the constituents' support for the name. He said he immediately suggested including the word "secular".

"You can give the alliance any name, but the word secular should be present somewhere in it. Vijay immediately agreed and said there was nothing wrong with using the term," he said.

Thirumavalavan said the inclusion of the word was necessary to avoid any ambiguity over the alliance's political position.

"If you don't use the word secular, there will be criticism that there is some wavering in your anti-BJP position or that you are hesitant to oppose the BJP. If you use the word secular, it clearly means opposition to the BJP and the RSS," he said.

He said "social justice" alone could not define the alliance's ideological position, as the BJP, caste-based groups and Left parties were also speaking about it.

"We never expected Vijay to come towards us. When he showed closeness to Congress, I was shocked. The BJP will target and exert pressure on any party that maintains close ties with Congress. But Vijay had the courage to accept Congress's support," he said.

Thirumavalavan also urged VCK cadres not to respond to criticism on social media. "Whatever anyone says on social media, do not pay attention to it or react to it. From now on, Tamil Nadu politics will increasingly be alliance politics in which VCK has a place," he said.