Corruption charges against me are politically motivated: Vijaya Baskar | Interview

Former Tamil Nadu health minister C Vijaya Baskar was campaigning in Viralimalai when The Federal caught up with him on Saturday (April 4).

He dismissed allegations of corruption as “politically motivated” and asserted that he was targeted for standing “in the front for the party”. He also expressed confidence of winning from Viralimalai again, highlighting his deep bond with the constituency.

The Federal spoke to the AIADMK leader about his campaign, youth opportunities in the party, allegations against him, AIIMS Madurai, and comparisons involving MGR. Edited excerpts:

You began your campaign yesterday. How are you feeling about your prospects in Viralimalai?

So yesterday was an auspicious day that I started my campaign with the blessings of my constituency people and with the blessings of our legendary leaders and our current leader Edappadi Palaniswami. I am confident that I will definitely win this time also in the Viralimalai constituency with a remarkable margin.

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You’ve won this constituency three times. What explains your continued success here?

There is a strong bond between the soil of Viralimalai and me. It is also a bond between the hearts of the people and my heart. People like me a lot, and I love them forever. Every time, I remain a very down-to-earth, easy, and accessible person for them. That is the reason I am contesting again.

You became an MLA at a very young age and later a minister. Do youngsters still get similar opportunities in AIADMK?

Yes, definitely. At the age of 26, I became an MLA. For an MLA nomination, one has to be at least 25 years old. Our legendary leader Jayalalithaa gave me that opportunity at a young age. This time also, Leader of the Opposition Edappadi Palaniswami has given opportunities to youngsters. If youngsters are getting a chance, it is only in the AIADMK party.

Your party has also started initiatives like a sports wing to attract youth. How do you see that?

Yes, definitely. During Amma’s period, we had youth participation, and after that we developed wings like the IT wing. Now we are expanding into areas like sports as well. Youngsters are the future. For any Dravidian movement to sustain, we need to give opportunities to the youth.

DMK leaders, including the Chief Minister, have pointed out that you were among the first ministers to face IT and CBI action after Jayalalithaa’s period. What is your response?

Everything is politically motivated. Everything is politically intended. When a person stands in the front line to fight for the party, the public, and politics, they may get affected. I am that person who stands in the front, so I became a target.

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Have you come out of that phase now?

Yes, definitely. Almost, with legal support and genuine judicial support, I have come out of that.

AIIMS Madurai was sanctioned in 2015 but has faced delays. With your alliance now, can we expect progress?

Normally, a well-developed state cannot claim AIIMS. But Jayalalithaa requested the Government of India for AIIMS in Tamil Nadu, and it was sanctioned. After her demise, it was delayed. When I was Health Minister, along with Edappadi Palaniswami, we requested the Union Health Ministers J.P. Nadda and Harsh Vardhan, and they gave the necessary sanction. Now almost all the works are getting over, and we expect it very soon.

Do you think actor Vijay, with his political entry, is trying to appropriate MGR’s legacy?

The legendary leader MGR cannot be compared with any leader. MGR is an identity for everybody, but he is the only identity and symbol for our party. He founded the party, and we are following his path. His fame cannot be taken by other parties. That is my view.

(The content above has been transcribed from video using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.)