Actor-turned-politician Vijay targets DMK and AIADMK over granite baron child abuse case

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK supremo C Joseph Vijay accused the main opposition DMK of corruption and collusion with the AIADMK during a campaign rally in Madurantakam. Vijay was addressing voters for the upcoming October 6 bypoll. The bypoll was triggered by the resignation of K Maragatham Kumaravel, who left the AIADMK to join Vijay's TVK and has been re-nominated for the seat under TVK's banner. Promoting his party's platform of clean governance, Vijay slammed the DMK and alleged that both major Dravidian parties, along with the BJP, share an unspoken understanding. He specifically brought up the case of granite baron R Veeramani, charging the DMK with covering up historical complaints regarding the abuse of girls. Although he did not explicitly name the POCSO case, Vijay stated that the industrialist abused children for years and claimed that a complaint filed during a previous DMK regime was buried. He directly challenged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to speak up on the matter, asking why both the DMK and the AIADMK remain silent. Vijay also criticized the DMK's language and attitude, stating that while a chief minister serves the people, the ruling party behaves as if it owns the state.