DMK underestimated Vijay and dealt with him liberally after Karur stampede, says Thirumavalavan

DMK [and the government headed by it] grossly underestimated TCK and simultaneously gave the party a “liberal hand” by refusing to file a case against its founder and actor K Joseph Vijay (now chief minister), “who is directly responsible for the Karur stampede (2025),” said VCK founder Tol. Thirumavalavan in Dharmapuri on Friday. He also blamed the MQM for the dissolution of the Secular Progressive Alliance, attributing it to the destruction of goodwill and friendship between the MQM and its erstwhile allies.

Speaking at the wedding of a party functionary in Dharmapuri, he addressed allegations that the VCC was to blame for the dissolution of the DMK alliance.

“The DMK has underestimated TMC and has completely failed to calm political tensions and debates on the latter issue,” said Mr. Thirumavalavan, whose party now has representation in Mr. Vijay’s cabinet.

During the stampede in Karur, he criticized the failure of the former DMK government to prosecute Vijay in the case. “He (Vijay) deliberately delayed his arrival and this delay led to mob violence which led to stampede and death. In that case, shouldn’t they have filed a case against all the culprits? Why was Mr. Vijay given liberal assistance despite my insistence that he too be brought to justice?” he asked.

Mr. Vijay’s politics must have been “exposed” when he targeted the DMK. The DMK has failed to counter the political attacks on Mr. Vijay. “It was I who called Vijay the ‘RSS baby’ and I didn’t trust him then. How did he win my trust now? Because he did not seek the support of AIADMK, PMK or BJP (to form the government), instead he turned to the Congress, the Left and the VCK. It is 100% the fault of the DMK that the Congress, the Left parties and the VCK walked out of (the alliance). It is not the fault of the cattle that he came out of the fold, but the fault of the owner that he kept all the pen doors open.”

The DMK’s “approach” towards long-time alliance partners has destroyed the goodwill and trust that has been built up over the years. Relations between the ruling party and its alliance partners have also become fragile due to the inclusion of MMDK, which has cost long-time allies seats, he said. The VCK, according to Mr. Thirumavalavan, supported the TVK alliance only after the Congress and Left parties declared their support. “So why is the VKK singled out and accused of ‘treason’?” he asked. And he noted, “In 2016, it was the DMK that wanted to succeed alone with 200 seats.”

Back in 2024, current TVK minister Aadhav Arjuna, who was with the VCK, submitted a proposal to nominate Mr. Thirumavalalan as the chief ministerial candidate for 2026. “But I did not want the ‘historical blame’ for the breakdown of the DMK alliance to be placed on the VCK, which allowed the BJP-RSS to enter Tamil Nadu. I steadfastly wanted to protect the alliance,” he said, adding that there was external pressure to pull the VCK out of the DMK alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

At the same time, Mr. Thirumavalavan also proclaimed the VCC’s right to its own independent political trajectory, calling for an end to explanations to its party cadres. “From now on, Tamil Nadu politics should be a space where the VCC becomes an integral part of power. There is no more need for guilt trips and counter-explanations on social media,” he added.