4 min readHyderabadApr 2, 2026 08:02 PM IST
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay has taken the two most painful episodes of his political journey so far and placed them squarely at the centre of his election campaign. Speaking at a recent campaign rally, the actor-turned-politician alleged that both the Karur stampede and the delay in the release of his film JanaNayagan were not accidents or bureaucratic setbacks, but deliberate acts intended to weaken him ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
“I don’t need to tell you how all the parties have come together to oppose your Vijay. As many said, the conspiracy around the Karur incident, and the fact that my final film Jana Nayagan could not be released. What if it made our close-to-heart relationship even stronger? And what if that film became a powerful weapon in the elections? As a brother, son, as your Vijay, I am fighting for your justice. I need justice as well,” Vijay told the crowd.
Vijay reiterated that he had stepped away from a life of luxury to stand with the people, stressing that his political journey is rooted in gratitude and a readiness to face hardships for the public.
The weight of Karur
On September 27, 2025, at least 41 people were killed and around 100 others were injured in a stampede during a TVK political rally in Karur district, Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu Police accused the TVK leadership of ignoring advice and failing to take adequate precautions, and alleged that Vijay had violated police-issued regulations and traffic rules. The tragedy drew condemnation from across the political spectrum and put serious pressure on Vijay’s fledgling party at a critical time.
The CBI has summoned Vijay multiple times in connection with the probe. He appeared before investigators at their Delhi headquarters in January, where he was questioned for several hours on two separate dates. The timing of the CBI summons has raised questions, coming as it did while Vijay was preparing for candidate selection and mapping out his campaign tour plan.
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Vijay and his party have consistently maintained that the investigation is being used as political pressure. Speaking at a party functionaries’ meeting in Thanjavur on March 4, Vijay said, “There is a lot of conspiracy happening against me. The first conspiracy happened in the Karur incident. Then, in various matters, and even up to the Jana Nayagan film, the conspiracy is continuing.”
The Jana Nayagan standoff
Jana Nayagan is widely believed to have been conceived as a launch pad for Vijay ahead of the 2026 polls. The film portrays him as a crusader against corruption and a mass reformer, an image that has struck a chord with Gen Z audiences.
Jana Nayagan was planned for a Pongal release on January 9. The producers submitted it to the Central Board of Film Certification on December 18 and received a UA 16+ certificate on December 22. However, just four days before its scheduled release, the CBFC sent the film to a Revising Committee based on an undisclosed complaint. The matter then moved to court, drawing sharp criticism from within the Tamil film industry.
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TVK functionaries accused the BJP-led NDA government of using both the CBI probe and the delay in Jana Nayagan’s release as pressure tactics, marking the party’s first direct public attack on the BJP after months of studied restraint.
His argument to voters is that the obstacles thrown at him are proof that the political establishment fears what TVK represents. At a recent roadshow in Perambur, he told the crowd, “I won’t deceive you. Give me a chance. It must be a whistle revolution,” directing his appeal squarely at younger voters.
TVK is contesting all 234 constituencies solo in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, a decision Vijay announced on March 18. With the campaign intensifying and election day approaching, he believes that everything done to stop him, from the tragedy in Karur to Jana Nayagan kept off screens, has only made him more determined.
Watch Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE on YouTube, Sony Entertainment Television, and Sony LIV on April 5 at 8 pm.
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