BJP has no grudge against actor Vijay: Pon Radhakrishnan

Former union minister and BJP leader Pon Radhakrishnan Wednesday rejected allegations that the recent Income Tax raids against popular Tamil actor Vijay were carried out because he was against the saffron party. "BJP has no grudge of any sort against Vijay," he told reporters when asked about the I-T department action.

The I-T sleuths had on February 5 raided Vijay's residence in Chennai besides conducting simultaneous searches at several premises linked to a film production house, movie financier and distributors in connection with suspected tax evasion. State Congress chief K S Alagiri had said there were chances that the searches could be aimed at "intimidating" the actor.

He had recalled that Vijay had courted controversy over certain dialgues against the GST and demonetization in his film "Mersal" in 2017 with the BJP leaders opposing it. On the Aam Aadmi Party's landslide victory in Delhi assembly elections, he attributed it to the freebies announced by the party.

BJP had won more seats than the last polls and increased its vote percentage, he added. Replying to a question on DMK tying up with Prashant Kishor-led I-Pac for Tamil Nadu assembly elections, Radhakrishnan said he was a talented 'driver' but the vehicle he would steer was 'tyreless'.

After the death of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, the party had lost its sheen and talent, he claimed.