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Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay on Saturday pledged to actively intervene in resolving issues affecting the Sri Lankan Tamil community, during a campaign rally in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. He praised the late LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, calling him “like a mother” to the Eelam Tamils, while clarifying that support for Tamil civilians should not be seen as endorsement of the banned LTTE.
Vijay highlighted the continued suffering of Sri Lankan Tamils and diaspora communities, emphasizing the moral responsibility to raise awareness for their plight. The actor-turned-politician has a history of solidarity with Sri Lankan Tamils, including a hunger strike in 2008 protesting civilian casualties in Sri Lanka.
In addition to the Tamil issue, Vijay pledged to prioritize resolving the longstanding fishermen dispute between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Criticizing the current DMK government, he stated that finding solutions for fishermen would be a key agenda under his leadership, contrasting it with what he described as inaction by the MK Stalin-led administration.
Vijay’s remarks are likely to generate controversy, given the LTTE’s history in India, including its involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. However, he sought to distinguish humanitarian support for Tamils from political endorsement of the banned group.
