00:00All right, so the question that we take to our panelists is, number one, what the CBI says and also where the film of actor Vijay is concerned, the censor board says, due procedure.
00:11Having said that, the DMK has also jumped in, suggesting that all of this is Vijay being used as a political pawn.
00:18What would be the political ramifications of this?
00:20Let's cut across to our panelists, Sumansi Raman, political analyst, Shekhar Iyer, senior journalist, RQ Paddha, senior journalist.
00:26Sumansi Raman, what's your take?
00:28Look, politically, what happened today will not have much of an impact, Preeti, because, look, he's just been called because he has to be called.
00:37I mean, this was a rally which was organized by him.
00:40He was a star witness.
00:41Basically, he was standing on top of the van and speaking when the stampede actually happened.
00:46So, and what's more, he put out a video alleging a conspiracy.
00:50So, there's plenty to ask.
00:52If Vijay had not been called by the CBI, the DMK itself would have made it a big issue and said that, you know, there's some cover-up going on.
01:01They have not even called the man for a questioning.
01:03So, he had to be called.
01:05And I honestly don't believe that there will be multiple rounds of questioning.
01:09There will be one more day where they call him maybe to counter-check a few facts which they may have cross-checked with other people.
01:15So, they may call him back maybe in a few days' time for one more day.
01:20But beyond that, I don't expect this to be a big political issue.
01:24The stalling of the movie, that's a much bigger issue.
01:28I've never seen in recent times the CBFC being so, you know, proactive in jumping from courtroom to courtroom,
01:35getting, you know, getting an urgent hearing on the matter in the high court, filing a caveat in the Supreme Court,
01:41running, you know, almost as if they're desperate that this film should not be released.
01:45So, that to me, if it plays out for a few more days or weeks, that could create some level of sympathy for Vijay.
01:52But the CBI investigation, he's a witness.
01:55I mean, he's not an accused by any stretch of imagination.
01:57So, I don't expect that to have any significant political impact.
02:02And nor do I see it as a pressure tactic to get him into an alliance and get him to join the NDA.
02:08Chekhar Iyer, do you concur?
02:11Why do?
02:11Because I do not think this whole CBI business, it is something that his party had sought.
02:17He had sought a CBI inquiry.
02:19Because he had, soon after the tragedy, his party as well as he had also in his first of the video statements,
02:27made it very clear that there is some kind of a vendetta, action of vendetta by the DMK government in Tamil Nadu.
02:35That is why his party wanted a CBI inquiry.
02:38Because they felt that an inquiry by a central agency would be more impartial than an inquiry by the state government.
02:48Because, you know, initially, Preeti, when the tragedy happened,
02:52the stallion was the first person to issue a statement saying that no one should be blamed and no one should be held.
02:58I mean, no one should be declared guilty even before a proper inquiry.
03:02But soon thereafter, what did we see was DMK ministers jumping into the fray and blaming Vijay.
03:09You know, one after another, ministers were issuing statements.
03:12That is the time when the matter reached Madras High Court and the TVK's lower functionaries were called by the police.
03:21So that's the time when Vijay felt that his party is being squeezed by the DMK government,
03:26even though Stalin kept saying that there is no politics in this, this should not happen to any political leader, things like that.
03:33So this, what is happening today, as Sumanthi Raman said, you know, as far as CBI inquiry is concerned,
03:40it is something that Vijay sought and it is happening because Supreme Court ordered it.
03:45And Supreme Court also asked, constituted a SIT to supervise the CBI inquiry.
03:50So I don't think there is any problem with this.
03:52But definitely the questions that have been raised about the way the gathering was organized,
03:58the delay that took place in Vijay's motorcade reaching that spot.
04:02And thirdly, and what did the local administration do?
04:05Why did that particular spot was chosen when it was told it's a very narrow public space?
04:10Things like that.
04:11Preeti.
04:12All right.
04:13Okay.
04:13So much ado about nothing.
04:14And one really needs to get to the bottom of our 41 lives taken and what really went behind that.
04:21What's your take?
04:24Preeti, I think one need not go into details about what happened in Karu because it's all well documented.
04:31And Vijay, of course, has a lot to answer for.
04:34So that's the reason why he's before the CBI.
04:36And I don't think anyone can fault the fact that the CBI has called him.
04:41But knowing the history of, you know, CBI and also the CPFC, where a film is stalled,
04:48I mean, one wonders whether how BJP is playing this game.
04:52Because we all know that the ruling party in Delhi uses these organizations for its own advantage.
04:58Are they trying to intimidate him, you know, by, you know, indulging in these things?
05:04Or do they want him to join their camp, the NDA?
05:06I mean, it is obviously to their advantage.
05:09But by, you know, adopting these tactics, are they, you know, making him really go out of control?
05:18Is he going to be part of their alliance or is he going to just, you know, become a hero in Tamil Nadu?
05:23I think what they're doing, you know, might even help him to become a martyr in Tamil Nadu.
05:28And he may just want to not join the India at all.
05:30So, it could boomerang on BJP.
05:34So, Mansi Raman, because, you know, at one end you have the film,
05:37which is creating a fair amount of sympathy and empathy on ground.
05:41Then you have him being questioned.
05:42The optics matter a lot, especially when you're closing into a high-octane election.
05:47It does.
05:48But I think right now in Tamil Nadu, Preeti, there is a feeling that Vijay does not have the steam to do it all on his own.
05:57He's hardly been seen in public.
05:59I mean, he just makes these periodic appearances.
06:02He hasn't met the media once.
06:05Can you believe it?
06:06He's not met the media once.
06:08Not for an interview, not for a press conference, nothing.
06:12So, there are too many questions which have been raised for which we don't have adequate answers.
06:18And gradually the feeling is this whole bit about chief minister candidate in for 2026.
06:25That's not happening.
06:26Importantly, he made an open announcement saying that he's open to aligning with any party which accepts him as a chief ministerial candidate.
06:37That was one year ago.
06:38Not a single party has come on board.
06:41Not one.
06:41Big, small.
06:42Nobody.
06:43So, I think that he needs to sort of revisit the strategy.
06:48Look, Preeti, everybody knows this.
06:50An alliance with the NDA, they will sweep the election in 2026.
06:55If he ties up with the AIADMK, he can contest and put up candidates against the BJP.
07:01The BJP is not totally averse to that is what I hear.
07:06So, that could be a Chirag Paswan kind of a thing.
07:11Should it happen, it is a sweep.
07:14Mark my words.
07:15Yeah.
07:16But whether it would happen or would Vijay believe this is a story that he is becoming the chief minister and he is going to win 200 seats.
07:24Now, that really is a call that he has to take.
07:26But my gut feel is he is slowly moving towards an alliance and being part of the NDA.
07:33Shekhar Aiyar, do you agree with that?
07:35Which side do you think the scales will tilt?
07:38No, I don't think Vijay will consider, you know, entering into an alliance with AADMK so long as BJP is around, number one.
07:47Number two, a section of the Congress feels the very fact this release of his film has been delayed
07:53is the way of BJP actually helping him.
07:57That the BJP's plan, they know very well, you know, after having declared BJP as his ideological enemy
08:02and DMK as his political rival, he cannot in any case join hands with AADMK if the BJP is part of that
08:10and it is called the NDA alliance.
08:11That's very clear.
08:12And second part, the other part is, you see, there is a Congress, a section of the Congress strongly feels
08:20this whole game about generating and being delayed is part of the, a part of a BJP plot
08:26to see that he gets enough oxygen to, and this controversy itself should boost him
08:32and it should create problems for the DMK.
08:35Because the whole idea is why should they do something knowing very well,
08:39it will be seen as being against him.
08:42So, there are a lot of conspiracy stories also.
08:44Lots of conspiracy theories.
08:45Well, it's time that, you know, it's all coming down in the next couple of months.
08:48Mr. Rupad there.
08:50Priti, I think, you know, AADMK doesn't want him to join the NDA.
08:56It's very clear because they want to rule the Tamil Nadu.
09:00And if BJP can keep him out, they'll be very happy.
09:03And I think that is what it is driving towards, because if this kind of, you know, activities are against him,
09:10I'm sure he will not want to join the, you know, alliance.
09:13So, which will be to the advantage of AADMK.
09:19All right.
09:19Okay.
09:20I appreciate all three of you for joining us.
09:22Thank you for taking the time out.
09:23With that, we're going to keep an eye on the developments there.
09:26But right now, with all the optics that you see taking place in the national capital,
09:30with the CBI questioning, don't read too much politics into that.
09:33But there will be politics.
09:34That's for later.
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