Thousands join Vijay’s protest seeking justice for custody death victims
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Thousands join Vijay’s protest seeking justice for custody death victims
Tamil actor and founder-president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Vijay, led a protest on Sunday, July 13. The protest took place at Swami Sivananda Salai in Chennai, where thousands of TVK cadres gathered and raised slogans demanding accountability. Vijay criticised Chief Minister MK Stalin for offering an apology only to the family of Ajith Kumar, a temple security guard who died in police custody in Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga district. The party also demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team under the direct supervision of the Madras High Court and called on the state government to release a white paper listing all custodial deaths reported since 2021. “If you do not restore law and order, we will make you do it by standing with the people,” Vijay said, warning the DMK to take corrective measures before the end of its term. Several cadres from outside Chennai alleged they were prevented from reaching the protest venue.
In the party’s first public demonstration, Tamil actor and founder-president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Vijay, led a protest on Sunday, July 13, demanding justice for the 24 custodial deaths that occurred under the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) rule over the past four years. The protest took place at Swami Sivananda Salai in Chennai, where thousands of TVK cadres gathered and raised slogans demanding accountability.
While addressing the gathering, Vijay criticised Chief Minister MK Stalin for offering an apology only to the family of Ajith Kumar, a temple security guard who died in police custody in Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga district.
“There is nothing wrong in saying sorry to Ajith Kumar’s family. But what about the other 24 people who died in custody under your rule? Why haven’t you apologised to their families? Why haven’t you given them compensation? Say sorry to them too, and compensate them,” Vijay said.
Calling it ‘selective accountability,’ the actor-politician questioned the state government’s decision to transfer Ajith Kumar’s case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He reminded Stalin of his previous stance during the 2020 Sathankulam case, when the deaths of Jayaraj and Bennix were also handed over to the CBI. The DMK, then in opposition, had called the move an insult to the Tamil Nadu police.
“Back then, you said the transfer to the CBI was an insult. Has anything changed now? Why are you hiding behind the Union government? The CBI has already become a puppet of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),” Vijay said, adding that the state government reacted only after his party approached the courts seeking a Special Investigation Team to probe the Ajith Kumar case.
Referring to the sexual assault of a student at Anna University, he said that courts were being forced to intervene in matters that should be addressed by the government. “If courts have to question all atrocities, what is the purpose of having a Chief Minister? Why occupy the post if you have no answers?” he asked.
He also dubbed the DMK’s governance a “Sorry Ma government,” saying that apologies had replaced meaningful action. “You only have one response—sorry. Is that all we can expect from this government?”
The protest saw strong participation from TVK supporters, many of whom held placards reading, “We do not want sorry, we want justice.” The party also demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team under the direct supervision of the Madras High Court and called on the state government to release a white paper listing all custodial deaths reported since 2021.
The TVK chief also warned the DMK to take corrective measures before the end of its term. “If you do not restore law and order, we will make you do it by standing with the people,” he said.
The party’s General Secretary N Anand, General Secretary of Election Campaign Management Aadhav Arjuna, General Secretary of Propaganda and Policy Dr. KG Arunraj, and Deputy General Secretary of Information Technology and Social Media Wing CTR Nirmal Kumar also spoke at the event.
Meanwhile, several TVK cadres from outside Chennai alleged they were prevented from reaching the protest venue.
Jaiganesh, a cadre from Trichy South, told TNM that police stopped them en route. “They said permission was given only for Chennai cadres. We were arrested and confined in a marriage hall. After several rounds of negotiation, we managed to join the protest,” he said.
Sudha Velan, a member of the party’s women’s wing from Chengalpattu, said, “Our leader has been relentlessly fighting for the welfare of the state. Everything he has said about this government is true. Can Chief Minister MK Stalin deny a single accusation that was made?”
Deputy General Secretary of the party’s Information Technology and Social Media Wing, CTR Nirmal Kumar, said the cadre turnout was huge despite no official announcement of Vijay’s participation.
“We just wanted to be a voice for the voiceless. Cadres from even 200 kilometres away were stopped. Many had to park their vehicles far away and walk 10 to 15 km to reach the protest site. We have received numerous such messages. No other political party has faced such obstruction. For us, it’s an unannounced emergency,” he told TNM.
On Saturday, ahead of the protest, Vijay met with the families of over 18 custodial death victims in a closed-door meeting at the TVK headquarters in Panaiyur.
It may be noted that TVK is the first political party in the state to bring together families of custodial death victims on a public platform, giving them space to demand justice directly.