Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi spent Saturday, October 10, in Chennai doing two very different things. At lunch he sat down with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at his Neelankarai home, then walked with him to a nearby cafe as supporters cheered. By evening he was on stage at Island Grounds, telling students at the Congress youth event Chhatron Ki Goonj that the Modi government was attacking Tamil Nadu's language, its students and the country's democracy.
The day mattered as much for the pictures as for the speeches. It was Rahul's first meeting with Vijay since the TVK-led coalition was formally named, and it came only a day after the ruling party won both Tamil Nadu bypolls.
An hour at Neelankarai, then coffee
Party sources said the two leaders talked for nearly an hour. Reports say they discussed governance and youth issues such as unemployment, education reforms and the state's long-running opposition to NEET. They also talked about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which the opposition has been fighting in Delhi all week. Neither side put out an official statement.
After lunch, Rahul and Vijay walked out together and stopped at a cafe close to the Chief Minister's residence. A crowd gathered quickly and the two chatted with people there before Rahul left for his hotel. The relaxed scene was a clear message to cadres of both parties that the partnership is in good shape.
Tamil Nadu Congress president Manickam Tagore said the TVK was already part of the INDIA bloc and there was no need for a separate announcement. The TVK joined the bloc in the state on October 3. Its coalition, the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance, also includes the Congress, the Indian Union Muslim League and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. That is a big shift for the Congress, which spent years as the DMK's junior ally in Tamil Nadu.
What Rahul told students at Island Grounds
This was the sixth edition of Chhatron Ki Goonj (called Maanavargalin Kural in Tamil), after earlier stops in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj, Pune and Indore. Entry was limited to registered students with QR codes, and Tagore said more than one lakh students had registered online. Police put about 15,000 personnel on duty across Island Grounds and the VVIP routes, partly because Prime Minister Narendra Modi had programmes in the city on Sunday.
Rahul opened by quoting Periyar and Thiruvalluvar, urging students never to accept an idea just because someone powerful says it. "Questioning is the foundation of curiosity. Questioning is also the foundation of progress," he said, adding that the Constitution protects the right to question those in power.
He then turned sharply political. He alleged that Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had launched an attack on Tamil language, history and culture, and criticised the three-language formula in the National Education Policy. "We are not going to let Narendra Modi attack the Tamil language, Tamil history, Tamil culture, nothing," he said.
NEET, funds, universities and delimitation
Rahul alleged that Rs 3,300 crore meant for Tamil Nadu had been held back over the NEP dispute, and claimed that the share of MBBS seats going to Tamil-medium students had fallen sharply since NEET came in. He also said most state universities were without vice-chancellors and accused Governor RN Ravi of trying to place RSS-linked people in those posts. On delimitation, he warned that the exercise could cut Tamil Nadu's strength in Parliament and called it a way of punishing the state.
He invited S Manirathnam, brother of the late medical aspirant S Anitha, whose story became a symbol of the anti-NEET movement in Tamil Nadu, on to the stage.
"Mogambo" jibe and the Delhi protests
Rahul repeated his "vote chori" charge and, as a still of the Mr India villain flashed on screen, referred to the Prime Minister as "Mogambo Modi". He claimed Delhi had been shut down, internet suspended and students beaten by police during this week's protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. "Nobody is going to be able to crush the spirit of this country, crush the students of this country," he said. He also alleged that "international and financial forces" were controlling the Prime Minister.
These are political allegations made at a party event. At the time of writing, there was no response from the BJP or the Union government to the specific claims.
Key facts at a glance
| Date | Saturday, October 10, 2026 |
| Meeting venue | CM Vijay's residence, Neelankarai, Chennai |
| Meeting length | Nearly one hour |
| Student event | Chhatron Ki Goonj (6th edition), Island Grounds |
| Registrations claimed | Over 1 lakh students (TNCC) |
| Security | About 15,000 police personnel |
| Alliance | TVK, Congress, IUML, VCK (Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance) |
What it means for Tamil Nadu and the opposition
For the Congress, Chennai was a chance to show that its bet on Vijay is paying off. The TVK has won both bypolls, and a warm public outing with the Chief Minister helps the Congress claim a share of that momentum. For Vijay, standing next to the national face of the opposition gives his young government weight in Delhi at a time when NEET, education funds and delimitation are live issues in the state.
Nationally, Rahul used the Chennai stage to link Tamil concerns with the opposition's campaign against the Election Commission. That campaign is likely to stay loud through the coming weeks.
What happens next
Watch for any formal joint statement from the TVK and Congress on NEET or delimitation, and for the BJP's reply to Rahul's remarks. The opposition's pressure on the CEC and the SIR process is also set to continue in Delhi.
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