Chennai: The fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor-politician Vijay targeted the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) dispensation over the controversial ban on ‘whistle’ at Chepauk stadium and claimed that the Dravidian major was getting rattled by the increasing popularity.
Chepauk falls under the Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni assembly constituency in the city, represented by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin’s son and deputy Udhayanidhi.
Taking a strong exception to the ban at the MA Chidambaram cricket stadium, Chepuak, during the match between New Zealand and Afghanistan, leading to the latter’s defeat, a TVK leader claimed the police enforced the ban on carrying or blowing whistles at the stadium.
Whistle is the election symbol allotted to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam by the Election Commission.
Fans who eagerly went to the stadium on February 8 to watch the T20 World Cup were asked by the security and police to hand over their whistles before entering the stadium.
The TVK leader claimed that the TNCA never restricted the use of whistles, yet the police had banned it. “This only showed the extent to which the DMK was rattled by the TVK’s popularity,” he claimed.
Refuting the charge, a DMK senior leader said, “Vijay and his party leaders needlessly targeted the Chief Minister and are trying to create an impression that they were emerging popular, which in reality is not the truth.”
Initially, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association clarified that it did not impose the restriction, but later pointed out that the ICC guidelines prohibited whistles, vuvuzelas, and megaphones for the tournament.
On Sunday, the fans were greatly disappointed when the police frisked them.
During the 2025 IPL, Vijay’s fans carried their party flag into the stadium, but it was later confiscated.
