Seeman urges withdrawal of private universities Bill; Clarifies remarks on Vijay

CHENNAI: Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator Seeman extended his support to the one-day hunger strike organised by the University Professors’ Union in Chennai against the Tamil Nadu government’s Private Universities Amendment Bill 2025. He later addressed the media, calling for the bill’s immediate withdrawal and clarifying his recent comments about actor Vijay.

Seeman on Wednesday visited Egmore’s Rajarathinam Stadium, where the University Professors’ Union staged a one-day hunger strike opposing the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department’s Private Universities Amendment Bill 2025.

Speaking to reporters, Seeman said the bill creates confusion and adversely affects university professors. He urged the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw the bill immediately. He also pointed out that the DMK, which once opposed the SIR issue, should now convene an emergency Assembly session and pass a resolution against the SIR.

When asked about actor Vijay not wishing him on his birthday, Seeman responded:

“Who said I scolded Vijay? Asking questions doesn’t mean criticism. One must either stand on the side of Dravidian ideology or on the side of Tamil nationalism. If both are said to be the same, that means standing in the middle.”

“Similarly, you must either stand with Gandhi, who fought for freedom, or with Subhas Chandra Bose. Otherwise, you are standing with the white rulers who denied us independence. What does it mean to stand in the middle then?” he said

“Even after I criticized him earlier, Vijay wished me. Maybe he just forgot this time,” Seeman added, clarifying that he only urged Vijay to take a strong stand and did not accuse him of anything.