‘State administration cannot be run as reels’: AMMK leader Dhinakaran targets Vijay over governance

Chennai: AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran has launched a scathing attack on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, accusing his government of prioritising publicity and social media visibility over administration.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday while travelling to attend celebrations marking the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Poolithevan, Dhinakaran said Vijay appeared to be carrying his film-industry habits into politics.

“Even after entering politics, he conducts himself every day, from leaving his residence to returning, as if he is on a cinema shooting set,” Dhinakaran said. He added that while such habits may have continued from Vijay’s acting career, “state administration cannot be run as reels”.

The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader also criticised the government over the recent opening of the Mettur Dam. Dhinakaran, who is from the Cauvery delta region, alleged that the decision was taken without adequate consultation with farmers’ organisations.

He said farmers in the delta required a sustained supply of water, particularly amid severe drought conditions. According to Dhinakaran, water needs to flow continuously for around 25 to 30 days to support agricultural activity.

“Opening the shutters without adequate assessment or consultation offers no real benefit to the farming community and remains a purely publicity-driven exercise,” he alleged.

‘Election promises reduced to climax dialogues’

Dhinakaran also referred to a farmers’ protest in Chennai seeking a complete waiver of crop loans. He accused Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of making sweeping promises during the election campaign, including a commitment to waive farm loans for holdings of up to five acres.

Comparing the campaign promise to a “film hero delivering a climax dialogue”, Dhinakaran alleged that the commitment had since been pushed aside.

The AMMK leader further accused the government of “outsourcing government procurement”, claiming that contracts connected with gold welfare schemes had been given to jewellery companies based in Kerala.

He alleged that such decisions were affecting traditional goldsmiths in Tamil Nadu by depriving them of work.

Attack on TVK legislators

Dhinakaran also questioned the performance of TVK legislators in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, describing their conduct as “childish”.

He alleged that inexperienced ministers had mocked senior Opposition leaders and struggled to answer questions involving basic administrative figures.

The AMMK leader also accused the government of using “paid influencers” to create what he described as an artificial positive image through social media.

Appealing to the media to report facts objectively, Dhinakaran warned voters against being influenced by what he called a “cinema illusion”.

If the electorate failed to look beyond such publicity, he cautioned, Tamil Nadu could risk being pushed back by several decades.