No 'Whistle Podu' In Chennai For T20 World Cup, Vijay Says DMK Is "Rattled"

The apparent banning of whistles during T20 cricket World Cup matches played at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium – the third of which will be Friday's mUnited States vs Netherlands – have kicked up a political row ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election due in March/April.

Actor Vijay, whose Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam will make its electoral debut, accused the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of being "rattled" by his popularity and the prospect of losing the election.

He also accused said the DMK of "trying everything to stop the whistle".

The comments followed reports police had stopped spectators from carrying whistles into the stadium for Sunday's New Zealand vs Afghanistan match.

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the police later denied these reports. But the inclusion of the whistle in pamphlets listing 'prohibited and restricted items' raised eyebrows.

TVK leader Felix Gerald said, "The whistle has become the new heartbeat of Tamil Nadu. The DMK government can threaten people… DMK can use its power to ban the whistle in the stadium… but they cannot stop the will behind the whistle. The DMK is rattled by the whistle."

The DMK responded with senior leader TKS Elangovan dismissing Vijay and TVK's remarks as "mischief".

"Vijay never speaks about people's issues… he wants to be Chief Minister but does not care about the people. How can the DMK pressure the International Cricket Council? TVK doesn't have any sense," he said, "Whistles are everywhere… and the DMK is an old party so why would we have to do this?"

The context too all this is simple; Vijay's TVK was allotted the 'whistle' as its symbol.

The humble whistle – specifically the phrase 'whistle podu' (a colloquial phrase in Tamil meaning 'blow the whistle') – is also associated with the city's IPL team, the Chennai Super Kings.

In fact, 'Whistle Podu' is the name of the franchise's unofficial anthem and slogan.

The TVK has emerged as a dark horse for the 2026 Tamil Nadu election, driven largely by Vijay's massive popularity. The stampede in Karur district in September last year – a tragic TVK campaign event, headlined by Vijay, at which 41 people were killed – was seen as a problem, possibly a terminal one, to the party's chances. But the TVK has made a comeback since.

In his first election campaign, Vijay has also made headlines for his all-out approach, taking on both the ruling DMK and its Dravidian rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which have dominated Tamil Nadu politics, and swapped governments, since the late 1960s.

Vijay has refused any talk of alliance with the DMK – whom he has called his 'political enemy' – and with whose leaders he has had a running feud since announcing his election ambition.

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He has, however, been softer in criticising the AIADMK, likely to avoid alienating potential swing voters while claiming the legacy of its founder, MG Ramachandran, or MGR, and absorbing its rebels, including KA Sengottaiyan.

The Congress and the BJP, both outsiders in the theatre of Tamil politics, are allied with the DMK and AIADMK, respectively, at this time, though there are whispers the former could walk out over stalled seat-share talks and tie-up with Vijay's TVK.