Actor turned politician Vijay defended social reformer Periyar, claiming the BJP is using Periyar to draw attention away from issues with the national government. Vijay pointed out Periyar’s good work, like fighting against child marriage, helping widows get remarried and standing up against caste-based violence. He also noted Periyar’s forward-thinking support for reservation, explaining his lasting popularity comes from supporting social justice a century ago. The leader of the TVK party asked if the Finance Minister is truly bothered by Periyar’s comments about the Tamil language and if so, she should ask the government to stop pushing the three-language policy in Tamil Nadu. Vijay argued that Periyar’s influence is still strong, as he can still cause controversy and hide criticism of the national government, which shows why Tamil Nadu still respects him.

Vijay’s statement follows Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech criticizing the DMK for honoring Periyar. She didn’t say his name, but implied that anyone who knows a little Tamil would understand who she meant. She blamed the DMK for treating someone like a God who had insulted Tamil. She said they would call him a Dravidian hero and used writings from a Tamil magazine to back up her point. Sitharaman went on, saying the DMK was not being honest about protecting Tamil. She stated that they praise and honor a man who often called Tamil a crude language, even calling him a leader of the Dravidian movement, calling this hypocritical. These comments also brought back the debate about the National Education Policy (NEP).