Congress backs Vijay over ‘Jana Nayagan’ delay amid rift with DMK, sparks alliance buzz

Senior Tamil Nadu Congress leaders have publicly extended support to actor-politician Vijay over the alleged censorship delays plaguing his upcoming film Jana Nayagan.

The move is being seen as a step closer to forging ties with Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), especially as whispers of discord in the DMK-Congress alliance grow louder ahead of the assembly elections.

The controversy over Jana Nayagan

The controversy erupted following an official announcement from KVN Productions, the film’s production house, postponing the film’s release. Originally slated for January 9, the release has been deferred due to “unavoidable circumstances beyond our control”, said a KVN statement.

Also read: Jana Nayagan censor delay could lead to Rs 20 crore loss for producers

While the announcement did not explicitly mention censorship issues, sources close to the production suggest that the delay in obtaining the censor certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is at the heart of the matter.

While the makers moved Madras High Court seeking that the CBFC be directed to give the film a certificate, the latter is scheduled to pronounce the verdict only on January 9, making the film’s release on that day impossible.

Congress allegation of political interference

Critics allege political interference, pointing fingers at the BJP-led Union government for allegedly weaponizing government institutions such as the CBFC to target Vijay, who has emerged as a vocal opponent to the BJP as well as DMK.

Congress leaders wasted no time in rallying behind Vijay. Girish Chodankar, AICC in-charge of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, took to X to address Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his post, Chodankar condemned the “misuse of political power” and urged the PM to “keep politics out of art and respect creative freedom”.

Also read: Jana Nayagan trailer: Vijay's final film delivers political jabs, high-octane action

Echoing similar sentiments, Congress MP Manickam Tagore attacked the Modi regime for allegedly eroding freedom of expression. In his X post, Tagore highlighted how “institutions meant to protect democracy are reduced to tools of intimidation”, specifically calling out the CBFC as being “weaponised to control cinema and ideas”.

Condemnation for CBFC

The latest voice joining the fray is Congress MP Jothimani Sennimalai from Karur, who has vehemently condemned the CBFC for withholding the film’s certification, labelling it an assault on creative freedom and the Tamil film industry.

She emphasized the enormous investments and collective efforts behind films, arguing that blocking them for political motives undermines creative liberty. “A film is created with crores of rupees in investment and the hard work of hundreds. Attempting to stall it like this is completely against creative freedom. Moreover, stalling it for political reasons is even more dangerous,” she added.

Jothimani accused the Modi government of weaponizing the CBFC alongside agencies like the ED, CBI, and Income Tax Department.

Need to strengthen Congress in Tamil Nadu

Adding fuel to speculation, Congress functionary Praveen Chakravarthy recently met TVK chief Vijay, sparking talks of a potential Congress-TVK alliance.

Also read: Vijay says he is giving up cinema for fans at Jana Nayagan audio launch in Malaysia

In his recent statement, Chakravarthy emphasized the need to strengthen Congress in Tamil Nadu, saying: “The Congress party has not been in power in Tamil Nadu for 60 years. More seats, share in government, and share in power are the demands of Congress workers. The time has come to strengthen the Congress party. As far as the alliance is concerned, the Congress high command will decide. Anyone can make demands; there’s no issue with that. But the final decision will be taken by the leadership. I met Vijay; that’s all. There’s nothing more to say about it. Vijay has become a political force; no one can deny that. Some in the Congress are indirectly benefiting from DMK. As the saying goes, you don’t bite the hands that feed.”

With Tamil Nadu assembly elections just months away, political parties have already begun discussions on rallies, campaigns, seat-sharing, and coalitions. Reports indicate growing differences between the DMK and the Congress, with some Congress workers demanding more seats, power-sharing, and a stronger role in governance—demands unmet in the alliance for over 60 years without Congress holding power in the state.