Stalin’s real friends are ‘bribe, corruption’: TVK chief Vijay

Launching yet another scathing attack on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, TVK founder Vijay on Monday alleged that the DMK president’s real friends are “bribe, corruption, and eyeing political gains.” Addressing a meeting of party functionaries in Vellore, Vijay termed the Assembly polls due in April this year as a “surprising election”.

As all parties in the State are allegedly teamed up against him and reiterated that the contest was between the DMK and TVK only.

Daring rivals to declare their assets, the TVK top leader asked: “At this juncture, I would like to ask the present-day’s very big politicians a serious question. What were your assets before you came to politics? What are your assets after you joined politics? Can it be declared openly? Further, he also wanted the source of wealth; whether it was from business/work or if it was “swindled” after assuming power.

He alleged Stalin’s “real friends are bribery, corruption, and eyeing political gains,” and accused him of making false promises to the people and sought to debunk the governing party’s claim of having developed Tamil Nadu into a “superstar state”.

The CM and the ruling party have often said that the state registered, under the DMK rule, a double-digit economic growth rate of 11.19 per cent (2024-25).

Flaying the DMK’s poll narrative of polls as a fight between “Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NDA,” he said the battle was actually between the state’s people and corruption - by extension the DMK - and alleged that the DMK government was “inept.”

The Assembly election is “a war between Vijay and Stalin,” he said, and reiterated his refrain that TVK is a “pure force” and accused the DMK yet again of being an “evil force”.

Rejecting the DMK’s claim of having developed Tamil Nadu into a superstar state, Vijay, the chief of the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), said that the State was “such a superb” place during the times of iconic leaders K Kamaraj, CN Annadurai and MG Ramachandran.

Dubbing the DMK regime as “good-for-nothing ulta model government,” he alleged the state has been transformed into a super-standup comedian-run state.

The TVK chief, targeting the CM again, said that he was not concerned about his personal life.

“Be what you want to be. But your governance is flawed and not required for TN,” he alleged.

The actor-politician claimed that Tamil Nadu meant Vijay, and he represented the entire state.

 Referring to Stalin’s statement that he had no foes in politics and that all were his friends, Vijay asked, “Then why blame me for the Karur stampede,” referring to the tragedy during a TVK rally that killed 41 persons and injured many.

Further, he asked: “Why refuse venue and permission for TVK (rallies and events), if we are friends...you did everything and blamed us for the Karur tragedy.”

Praising people for superb clarity, he said he would visit every village and personally meet the people once the TVK formed the government following a huge win in the 2026 Assembly election.

Vijay, who arrived at a rousing reception by party workers at Agaramcheri village near the Pallikonda toll plaza on the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway in this district, administered a pledge to the TVK members.

“No one can buy us, our vote is for (party symbol) whistle. We won’t believe anyone and get deceived. We won’t deviate from our words. This is the truth,” Vijay said and asked his party workers to repeat after him.

Vijay reiterated that the TVK’s stand was secularism and social justice. -

He continued to wear his trademark white shirt and a sandal-like, mild coloured pair of trousers, while sporting his usual stubble.