Sending a strong message shortly after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned him and his upcoming film was blocked, actor-politician Vijay today said he "won't surrender under pressure" and "won't bow down". Vijay made the remarks at a strategy meeting in Mamallapuram attended by 3,000 state and district-level party functionaries.
Referring to the upcoming Tamil Nadu election, in which his party TVK is likely to make a poll debut, Vijay told his supporters, "It is not just an election, but a democratic war. You are my commandos who will fight this war." Targeting the DMK and the main opposition AIADMK, Vijay said, "Those in politics have forgotten Anna, including those whose party's name has Anna." Anna here refers to CN Annadurai, Tamil Nadu's former Chief Minister and a key ideologue in Dravidian politics.
Polling booths, he said, are bogus vote centres for parties in power. "Protect each vote, meet everyone." Vijay said that only the TVK has the guts to take on the 'evil force' (DMK) and the 'corrupt force' (AIADMK).
TVK leaders have said the party is set to begin a statewide campaign tour tomorrow. This tour will cover all 234 Assembly constituencies of the state to rally support ahead of the state polls. TVK has not yet announced an alliance with any party. TVK leaders said only Vijay would take a call on any political tie-ups. "We will win alone without any friends,"Vijay said today.
The 51-year-old superstar, who has recently jumped into the political arena, has made headlines over the past few months. In September last year, 41 people were killed in a stampede at a rally Vijay addressed in Tamil Nadu's Karur. He is now being investigated by the CBI in this connection and was questioned twice in Delhi. Vijay's movie Jana Nayagan has been in the news after the Censor Board blocked its release. The actor has approached the courts to get the decks cleared for release.
