Chennai
oi-Prakash KL
Divya Sathyaraj, the State Deputy Secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and daughter of veteran actor Sathyaraj, has alleged that she was attacked by members of Thalapathy Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) while campaigning in Chennai.
In a post on X, Ms Sathyaraj said: “A group of TVK members threw slippers at me last evening. I was horrified, but I did not stop my speech. My parents have raised me with great courage.” The incident comes days after her father publicly mocked Vijay’s political foray.
DMK State Deputy Secretary Divya Sathyaraj reported that TVK members threw slippers at her during campaigning, condemning the act as an assault fueled by ideological differences and urging respect for women, including Sangeetha Vijay.
Stressing that ideological differences do not justify physical assault, she added: “We have the right to an opinion and cannot be physically assaulted for that. My brother Sibi and I hold different ideologies, yet we are extremely close. We are a progressive family.”
Sathyaraj then directly addressed the TVK chief, urging him to ensure his party respects women. In a pointed remark, she also targeted Vijay over his divorce proceedings with wife Sangeetha. “A woman cannot be slippered for having an opinion. The leader of TVK must advise his members to respect women. Mrs Sangeetha Vijay is one of the most amazing women I have ever known, and she deserves respect too,” she said.
The incident follows a sharp attack on Vijay by veteran actor Sathyaraj at a public meeting in Perambalur, recently. A vocal DMK supporter, the elder Sathyaraj criticised the actor-turned-politician for his remarks against Chief Minister M K Stalin. “Instead, Vijay called him ‘Stalin Uncle’,” he said, suggesting that such familiarity would not have been tolerated under the previous AIADMK regime. “Imagine if he had called Jayalalithaa Madam ‘Aunty’. He would have been bashed like kothu parotta.”
Sathyaraj also drew a parallel between the delays surrounding Vijay’s latest film, Jana Nayagan, and the 2013 controversy over Thalaivaa, whose tagline “Time to Lead” was seen as political provocation.
Divya had earlier been critical of the TVK leader. In April 2025, she labelled him a “naughty politician” without naming him, after he reportedly travelled with actress Trisha to a wedding. In February 2026, she questioned whether Vijay could name ten workers from his own party and used a metaphor to challenge his preparedness, comparing his reliance on notes to a doctor consulting a textbook before administering an injection.
The TVK is yet to issue an official response to the allegations.
