Ex-VCK MLA threatens to leave party over its support for TVK

Despite joining Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s Cabinet, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) has been facing sustained criticism for not being true to its “ideological roots” from its own comrades.

On Sunday, former VCK MLA “Panaiyur” Babu wrote to the party leader expressing his desire to leave the party, as the leader operated “without ideological clarity and is stumbling along”.

In a statement, Mr. Babu said VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan took different stands on the same issue. “[He] took one stand yesterday, another one in a television interview, another at the press conference and contradicted the same on a Facebook live. Yesterday, you [Thirumavalavan] called the actor [Vijay] the child of “BJP and RSS”. Today, you have adopted that child, proving that you have begun to waver in your ideological stance, adding that he was unable to function under such leadership.

VCK general secretary Sinthanai Selvan urged Mr. Babu to reconsider his decision. “What you said regarding the party’s decisions cannot be ignored, but our leader’s decision is not out of self-interest. He has sacrificed his youth to achieve the dream of social equality. What has happened is not just a political change... it is a Gen Z wave. Please place your criticisms in front of our leader. Please reconsider your decision,” he said.