Astrologer may make him US President: Kanimozhi mocks Vijay over Secretariat plans

DMK MP Kanimozhi took a sharp jibe at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph over his proposed plans for a new Secretariat, sarcastically linking the move to his astrologer and suggesting that the latter may even have plans to make him the President of the US.

Kanimozhi made the remarks at a DMK event on Tuesday, where she mocked Vijay’s political ambitions while taking a dig at his association with astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel.

Referring to the plans for the new 1,200-acre Secretariat complex, the DMK MP said, “I don't know if the astrologer told him or what, but they are going to build a new Assembly.”

She then took the dig further, joking that the astrologer may have told Vijay that looking at the sea had already made him Chief Minister and that looking at it again could make him Prime Minister.

“Before the sea-facing office, he is Chief Minister. After the sea-facing office, maybe he will aspire to become the Prime Minister,” Kanimozhi said.

Continuing her sarcasm, Kanimozhi said the astrologer could advise Vijay to see the Taj Mahal or the Himalayas in Delhi before sending him “straight to America” to become the President.

Vijay’s plans for a new Secretariat have triggered a major controversy.

The proposed project, estimated to cost Rs 1,200 crore, is planned on Tamil Nadu Housing Board land at Pattinapakkam, a coastal area in Chennai.

The project has faced not only political opposition but also resistance from fishing communities in Pattinapakkam and surrounding areas.

More than 1,500 fishing families use the land for activities including anchoring boats, repairing and drying fishing nets, drying fish and operating daily markets.

While the fisherfolk have warned of mass protests if the project goes ahead, residents of Pattinapakkam and the Marina Loop Road area have said the land is closely linked to their livelihoods and traditional way of life.

Kanimozhi’s remarks also revived a controversy that erupted in May over Vijay’s decision to appoint his astrologer, Pandit Vettrivel, as an officer on special duty (OSD).

After assuming office on May 10, Vijay appointed Vettrivel as an OSD two days later. The appointment drew criticism from the DMK, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI(M) and CPI.

The appointment was revoked after the controversy intensified.