TVK rules out alliance with BJP despite pressure

Actor-politician Vijay-led TVK has reiterated that it will not form an alliance with the BJP despite mounting pressure. Party leader Arun Raj alleged political pressure and said the party remains firm on its ideological stand ahead of upcoming elections

Madurai: Actor-politician Vijay-led TVK on Friday asserted that the party would not forge an alliance with the BJP, despite what it described as mounting pressure from the saffron party.

“Earlier, they (BJP) were not exerting pressure. It is only now that they have begun to do so. They tried to apply pressure in many ways. It has even gone to the extent of a CBI inquiry and stalling of Vijay’s film (Jananayagan). You (media) know what happened,” Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam General Secretary (Policy and Propaganda) Arun Raj told reporters here.

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Vijay had appeared before the CBI in Delhi on January 12 for questioning in connection with the Karur stampede case.

Reiterating his party’s stand, Raj referred to Vijay’s remarks made at a party event in Mahabalipuram, where Vijay ruled out any alliance with “communal forces”.

“In the very first conference itself, our thalaivar (party chief Vijay) clearly stated that the BJP is an ideological opponent. It takes courage to declare that the ruling parties both at the Centre and the State are enemies,” he said, responding to a query that the TVK chief had not directly criticised the BJP during the party campaigns.

Responding to a question on the party manifesto, he said, “it was being prepared under the direct supervision of the party chief.”