Congress Picks Up Cudgels for Vijay

Chennai: A wide range of Congress leaders in the State took up cudgels on behalf of Vijay, whose latest film, ‘Jananayagan,’ also touted to be his last was denied clearance by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), raising doubts over the national party’s real motive behind it just as the cloud of doubts over its earlier moves to align with the fledgling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), launched by Vijay, were dispelled by some of their leaders.

Praveen Chakrvarty, chairman of Professionals’ Congress and Data Analytics, who had a long meeting with Vijay and later justified it, besides proclaiming that Vijay had emerged as a political leader in the State, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of insulting Tamil people by withholding censor certificate for Jananayagan on purpose and blocking its release.

Even Girsh Chodankar, the AICC in charge of Tamil Nadu, who originally started the controversy over and alleged plan of the Congress to leave the DMK-led coalition, was peeved over the denial of certification for the film warned Narendra Modi in a X message that said ‘your politics of intimidation won’t work in Tamil Nadu. He challenged Modi to take on politician Vijay and not actor Vijay.

Congress whip in the Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore said ‘ED, CBI, IT –turned into frontal organs to silence dissent. Now even the Censor Board is being weaponized to control cinema and ideas.’ Seeking constitutional protection for cinema, Tagore, who advocated power sharing by the DMK, said ‘Democracy cannot survive when art is forced to kneel before power.

Describing the CBFC as an institution that had no relevance today, Congress MP Jothimani said the denial of certification was an attack on the Tamil film world, while MDMK general secretary Vaiko said the DMK had no role in the CBFC decision.

AIADMK’s former Minister Sellur Raju denied any role by the Prime Minister and other BJP leaders like Tamilisai Soundararajan blamed only the CBFC.

But what many wondered was why so many Congress leaders rise in support of Vijay, who had actually faced trouble from the CBFC in the past with regard to clearance for his film. Perhaps it is to express their solidarity with Vijay, with whom they still wish to align with for the elections. With Vijay too keeping his doors open for allies, the Congress may walk into it if the DMK refuses to accede to its demand.