Vijay's film triggers political row as Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Tamil culture’ remark draws BJP's Jallikattu swipe

Rahul Gandhi says PM Modi would not succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people.

• Rahul Gandhi slams Centre for blocking Vijay's film Jana Nayagan's certification.
• CBFC halted certification over concerns about religious sentiments in the movie
• Producers moved Supreme Court after Madras HC stayed the film's certification

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday came out in support of the Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan and attacked the Centre after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) put the film's certification on hold, calling it an attack on Tamil culture.

He said PM Modi would not succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people.

The I&B Ministry’s attempt to block ‘Jana Nayagan’ is an attack on Tamil culture.

Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 13, 2026

In a post on X, the Congress leader wrote, "The I&B Ministry's attempt to block 'Jana Nayagan' is an attack on Tamil culture. Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people."

His remarks come after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) decided to hold the certification for the Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan on the grounds that certain scenes in the movie could potentially hurt religious sentiments.

However, when the makers of the movie approached the High Court, Vijay's starrer initially received a favourable outcome as a single-judge bench directed the censor board to grant the U/A 16+ certification.

Further, the producers of Jana Nayagan, KVN Productions LLP, have moved the Supreme Court seeking an ex parte interim stay on the Madras High Court's order that stalled the film's certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The plea challenges the Division Bench order of the Madras High Court issued on January 9, which stayed the certification of the Tamil film, overturning an earlier decision of the High Court's single-judge bench that had directed the CBFC to grant the film a U/A 16+ certificate.

In its plea, KVN Productions has sought an ex parte interim (order without hearing the other party) or ad-interim stay (temporary stay) on the High Court's January 9 order. Further, the plea has requested any other relief deemed appropriate by the Supreme Court.

"It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that Your Lordships may graciously be pleased to: - a) Ex parte, through an interim or ad-interim order, stay the operation of the impugned interim Order dated 09.01.2026 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras in C.M.P No. 821 of 2026 in W.A. No. 94 of 2026; and/or pass such further or other orders as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper AND FOR THIS ACT OF KINDNESS THE PETITIONER AS IN DUTY BOUND SHALL EVER PRAY," the plea reads.

The BJP has responded by calling Gandhi a "shameless habitual liar and peddler of fakery". "It was Rahul Gandhi's Congress led UPA Govt which insulted the sentiment, culture and pride of Tamil people by demeaningly terming the revered Jallikattu barbaric. The UPA Govt vehemently opposed Jallikattu, closely associated with the Pongal Festival, by issuing a notification, subsequently leading to the ban of Jallikattu," BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan said on X.

The BJP leader said Gandhi's statement reveals the Congress party's "dangerous and dictatorial emergency mindset which perilously prevails even today, always scheming to suppress and subjugate our independent democratic institutions".