Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh has strongly criticized actor-turned-politician Vijay’s recent campaign speech, branding it as narrow-minded and a wasted chance to highlight pressing national concerns. His remarks came in the wake of Vijay’s address at the ‘Peraniyil Tamilnadu’ event in Trichy, where the Thamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam leader launched an attack on both the NDA government at the Centre and the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, accusing the Dravidian party of failing to deliver on its poll promises.
Responding to these allegations, Mahesh defended the DMK government’s performance, noting that schemes worth over ₹35,000 crore had been rolled out for the benefit of the people. He argued that rather than making sweeping statements, leaders should specifically mention what has or hasn’t been done in a district, as the people of Trichy, in particular, were aware of the development work in their region.
The minister further criticized Vijay for not addressing critical national issues during his speech, especially the matter of unreleased education funds from the Union Government. He pointed out that while Vijay projected himself as a figure who inspired the youth and claimed to have won the admiration of children, he overlooked the chance to demand the release of education funds, which could have directly benefited students. According to Mahesh, with such a massive gathering of young supporters, Vijay could have used the moment to spread awareness about important issues, but instead, his speech lacked vision and appeared narrow in focus.
Vijay’s event itself stirred controversy due to its scale and impact. Despite restrictions such as a ban on roadshows and time limits, thousands turned up, resulting in delays, disruptions, and even reports of property damage. The minister alleged that the crowd accompanying Vijay at the airport destroyed the central median, damaged a school roof, and vandalized children’s toilets.
Mahesh underlined that while political opponents may stage events, they should do so responsibly, without causing public harm. He reminded that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has always maintained that the DMK does not view others as enemies, but warned that those who base their politics on divisive ideologies of language and race often end up standing with the DMK eventually. In this light, Mahesh portrayed Vijay’s entry into political campaigning as one that generated noise and disruption but failed to deliver meaningful contributions to public discourse.
