Chennai, Dec 24 The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp attack on Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan, alleging that he has effectively “mortgaged” his party to the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in exchange for limited electoral gains.
In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, BJP spokesperson A. N. S. Prasad said the VCK had been reduced to a “Villupuram–Chidambaram outpost” (VCK has two MPs, Thol Thirumavalavan from Chidambaram and D.Ravikumar from Villupuram), claiming it no longer possessed an independent ideological identity or a statewide political vision.
He alleged that Thirumavalavan’s continued alliance with the DMK contradicted the founding principles under which the VCK was established to champion Scheduled Caste rights.
Referring to a recent Christmas celebration in Chennai, Prasad accused the VCK leader of indulging in “opportunistic minority appeasement,” alleging that he avoided speaking about Christian faith while simultaneously making remarks critical of Hindu religious symbols and organisations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
The BJP leader said such actions reflected divisive politics aimed at consolidating vote banks rather than promoting social harmony.
The statement further alleged that Thirumavalavan had failed to raise his voice on several incidents involving Dalits in Tamil Nadu, including cases of violence, alleged atrocities, and infrastructural neglect in government-run schools and hostels.
According to ANS Prasad, the VCK chief had remained silent on what he termed the DMK government’s “failures” in addressing these issues.
Highlighting financial data, the BJP spokesperson claimed that substantial funds allocated by the Centre for Scheduled Caste welfare under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) had either remained unutilised or were diverted by the State government.
He cited figures from recent years to argue that despite allocations made during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, welfare outcomes on the ground remained inadequate.
Prasad also accused Thirumavalavan of acting as an intermediary in political negotiations on behalf of the DMK while publicly criticising other parties, describing this as “political theatre.”
He concluded by stating that if the VCK no longer intended to function independently, it should “openly merge” with the DMK rather than continue, what he called, a “pretence of social justice politics.”
--IANS
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