Vaiko defends Vijay, targets DMK over MLA resignations; press meet ends amid heated exchange

CHENNAI: MDMK General Secretary Vaiko on Tuesday (June 30) strongly defended TVK president Vijay, accused the DMK of initiating "horse-trading" in Tamil Nadu politics through engineered MLA resignations, and predicted that Vijay would become the State's Chief Minister.

His interaction with journalists, however, ended abruptly after a heated argument with reporters near Tirupporur in Chengalpattu district.

Vaiko had visited Kalavakkam near Tirupporur to oversee the removal of invasive seemai karuvelam (Prosopis juliflora) trees, in compliance with a High Court direction. He was accorded a warm reception by party workers before addressing the media.

Stressing the environmental impact of the invasive species, Vaiko said even cattle avoided resting under seemai karuvelam trees and claimed that Kerala did not have the problem. He said the MDMK was working to protect Tamil Nadu's environment and was not driven by electoral gains.

Responding to criticism by the DMK over the recent resignations of AIADMK legislators, Vaiko alleged that the DMK party had itself pioneered such political practices. He claimed the DMK had earlier engineered the resignation of an MLA elected from Cumbum on the spinning-top symbol and had also been responsible for the resignation of former AIADMK MLA Anitha R. Radhakrishnan before he joined the DMK.

Referring to the MDMK's alliance with TVK, Vaiko expressed confidence that Vijay would become Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister even after the next Assembly election. He also alleged that people had rejected what he described as the DMK's "corruption, collection and cutting" style of governance.

The press conference turned confrontational when a journalist questioned Vaiko about his criticism of the DMK despite his party's earlier alliance with it. Another reporter asked whether it was appropriate for a veteran leader like him to align politically with Vijay, describing the actor-politician as politically inexperienced.

Vaiko rejected the characterisation, saying Vijay was "not a child" but a person who had already achieved success in the film industry. Recalling the 2018 Thoothukudi Sterlite firing, he claimed Vijay was the only political leader who visited the family of a young woman killed in the police firing late that night to offer condolences.

The exchange escalated when Vaiko questioned the identity of the journalists and criticised a reporter from a Tamil daily, alleging unfair coverage. He said legal action would be initiated against the publication and asked party workers to remove the reporter from the venue.

This led to a confrontation between journalists and MDMK cadres, following which the press conference was called off midway, creating tension at the venue for a brief period.