Staff Correspondent
South Indian film superstar and politician Thalapathi Vijay has labeled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as ‘fascist’ and publicly called for opposition against it.
On Thursday (21 August), speaking to thousands of supporters at the second state conference of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) held at Parapathi, Madurai, Vijay made the declaration ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
During the rally, Vijay described BJP as an ‘ideological enemy’ and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) as a ‘political enemy’. He said,
“Our only ideological enemy is the BJP, and our political enemy is the DMK. TVK is not a party that fears anyone or conducts secret mafia-style operations. The strength of Tamil Nadu is with us. Let us unite to fight the fascist BJP and the toxic DMK.”
Using a metaphor, the actor-politician added:
“A lion is always a lion. When it roars, its sound travels up to eight kilometers. There are many foxes in the jungle, but only one lion. And the lion is the king of the jungle.”
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP, Vijay said:
“You may think the path will be smooth until 2029. But just as water cannot be held back by a lotus leaf, Tamils will never align with the BJP.”
Political analysts believe that Vijay is aiming to establish TVK as a strong alternative to the DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu politics. Since the party’s formation last year, the 2026 Assembly election is expected to be his first major political contest.