By Aveek Banerjee,News18
Copyright news18
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin took a dig at actor-turned-politician Vijay, calling him a “newbie politician”, while also taking potshots at rival AIADMK, asserting that no one can defeat DMK in the state.
Addressing the DMK’s grand rally in Karur on Wednesday, Stalin said, “All newbie politicians have emerged saying, ‘We will destroy the DMK, we will finish the DMK!’ Even today, some people go around saying, ‘We are the alternative to the DMK.’ But what are they going to change? Are they going to reverse Tamil Nadu’s progress and drag it backwards?”
“Everyone who said they were an alternative… changed, disappeared. But the DMK never changed! And the DMK has never disappeared from the hearts of the Tamil people. This is Tamil Nadu politics. Our ideology is our strength,” he added.
கரூர் மண்ணில் கழக உடன்பிறப்புகளின் மாபெரும் எழுச்சியுடன் கழக முப்பெரும் விழா – 2025 நிறைவு பெற்றது. மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் திரு @mkstalin அவர்கள் தலைமையில் ஓரணியில் நின்று தமிழ்நாட்டை தலை குனிய விட மாட்டேன் என சூளுரைத்து களப்பணியை தொடர்வோம்! #முப்பெரும்விழா2025 pic.twitter.com/en8sqLvCuY
— DMK (@arivalayam) September 17, 2025
Actor Vijay, the leader of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has pitched his party as the alternative to both DMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Stalin had earlier hit out indirectly at Vijay’s state-wide campaign from Tiruchirappalli, which disrupted traffic in several parts of the city.
Stalin Targets BJP, AIADMK
Targeting the BJP, Stalin said the “saffron ideology” was the biggest threat facing the state. “The DMK has been fighting this for over 2,000 years, and today, we continue our resistance against the BJP’s oppressive central government,” he said.
He further said that the Narendra Modi government has not been able to make inroads in Tamil Nadu despite forming the Central government three consecutive times, and slammed the party for imposing Hindi in the state.
“Do you see how Delhi tries to dominate us in so many ways? They are imposing the Hindi language on us. They refuse to exempt us from the NEET exam, which sacrifices the futures of our students. They even deny us the rightful education funds for our children,” he said, while also criticising the Bihar SIR exercise.
Targeting AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, Stalin said, “AIADMK once claimed to stand for self-respect, but today it has fallen into subservience, seeking refuge under Amit Shah. While many parties that promised change and transformation have vanished, the DMK has remained strong.”
“Even now, Palaniswami stoops low in his speeches. What else can we expect from someone who surrendered AIADMK to the BJP just to save himself from raids?” he added. “Tamil Nadu is a no-entry zone for the BJP. No one can defeat the DMK in this state, and Karur is not just a district; it is DMK’s own land.”
The ruling DMK is locked in a high-pitch battle with the BJP and AIADMK ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The BJP and AIADMK formed an alliance earlier this year.