Tiruvarur (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 21 (ANI): Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and actor Vijay on Saturday hit out at Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son, accusing them of halting Tamil Nadu's progress.

Speaking in Tiruvarur, Vijay Compared the state's development to a chariot left immobile by the ruling DMK leadership.

'What is the Chief Minister, his son, doing now? Instead of letting the Tamil Nadu chariot run smoothly, he has tied it all around, leaving it stuck, without moving an inch. He even takes pride in this, as if it were a matter of pride for him,' Vijay said.

He pointed to local infrastructure issues, noting that Tiruvarur, despite being a district headquarters, 'yet, there isn't even a proper road from the national highway to the bus stand.'

He also highlighted that the long-standing demand for a Kumbakonam-Jayankondam-Virudhachalam-Needamangalam railway line 'had remained unfulfilled for 50 years.'

Without mentioning the name of Industries Minister T R B Rajaa, Vijay said the work of 'the minister from the district' is to serve the chief minister's family.

'There's a minister from this district. Do you know what his job is? Serving at Chief Minister Stalin's house. We must make him understand that it is the people who matter,' the actor-turned-politician said.

Earlier in the day, TVK Chief Vijay threw his weight behind the fishing community in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, criticising the state government for neglecting the district's development needs.

Addressing a massive public gathering, Vijay vowed to stand by fishermen, describing Nagapattinam as a land 'close to his heart.' Vijay said he would 'always remain a fisherman's friend.'

He reminded the audience that Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu's second-largest fishing port in exports 'still lacks modern fish-processing plants and industrial infrastructure that could create jobs and uplift the community.'

Vijay slammed the DMK government for inaction on attacks by the Sri Lankan navy on Tamil Nadu fishermen and emphasised solidarity with Sri Lankan Tamils.

'The ruling party (DMK Government) keeps boasting that only under their rule has development come. I am tired of hearing the same story. Haven't the people suffered enough?' he asked, dismissing the government's claims as hollow.

Vijay also reiterated his earlier remarks on the plight of fishermen attacked by the Sri Lankan navy, insisting his statements were not criminal but a voice for the suffering.

He stressed that 'the lives of Sri Lankan Tamils matter to us as much as the lives of our fishermen.

'Vijay said, 'I had spoken at the Madurai conference about the reasons behind Sri Lankan Navy attacks on our fishermen and the possible solutions. It is my duty to stand by the fishermen. In fact, 14 years ago, we held a public meeting in Nagapattinam condemning the attacks on fishermen.'

He also accused opponents of 'trying to block his public meetings', but vowed to continue engaging with citizens. (ANI)