TVK chief Vijay blames DMK for PM Modi's 'statues for Chola icons' pitch

Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam President Vijay on Monday said the BJP-led Centre would not have been able to seek to appropriate Cholas had the ruling DMK given due respect in full to the mighty emperors.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced grand statues for Chola kings Rajaraja and Rajendra on Sunday, the actor-politician avoided directly targeting the prime minister and instead hit out at the BJP and the union government led by it.

He accused the DMK of forgetting its duty to celebrate the legacy of the Chola empire.

In a statement, he alleged the Dravidian party "mortgaged" Tamil Nadu by seeking sanctuary with the Union BJP government, and now the DMK government has also mortgaged the pride of the Tamils.

Had the ruling DMK, in the past, accorded due respect in full to the Chola emperors, the BJP regime, which is against Tamils, would not have been able to "take up the matter of the pride of the Tamils, the Cholas."

The TVK chief alleged that the union government, by hiding the Keeladi excavation findings attempted to conceal Tamil civilisation and history. Now, the PM has spoken about the pride of the Cholas and is it not an out-and-out deceitful drama?

Vijay accused the DMK of having indirect ties with the BJP and alleged that the Dravidian and Saffron parties were enacting a political drama and both could only be termed as politically guile.

Hence, the Tamil Nadu people will not accept the "political mileage drama," enacted together by the BJP and DMK albeit indirectly.

Vijay said the people would give a fitting reply to both the parties for their deceitful politics in the 2026 Assembly election.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the construction of grand statues of iconic Chola emperors, Rajaraja Chola and his son, Rajendra Chola I, in Tamil Nadu.

Addressing the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival in Gangaikonda Cholapuram to mark and honour the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola-I, the prime minister said these statues will serve as modern pillars of India’s historical consciousness.