A bad politician always fears honest media. To escape social accountability, politicians often rely on state power to control or regulate media outlets or channels that are uncomfortable for them. Now, it seems that Tamil Nadu’s actor-turned-politician and CM Joseph Vijay and his team are alleged to be curbing the media through backdoor channels by blocking the relay of three news channels from the state-run Arasu Cable TV network that are closely monitoring and critical about TVK government and its minister’s actions on ground.
As per reports, three Tamil news channels – Polimer News, News Tamil 24×7 and Tamil Janam – have gone off air on Arasu Cable TV, the state-run cable television network, since June 9.
Initially, TVK leaders tried to justify it as a technical issue, but when confronted about why this technical issue affected three specific channels, questions began to arise.
These channels have allegedly been targeted by the TVK Joseph Vijay government as they were continuously reporting on issues such as law and order, the alleged excesses of ruling party functionaries, the safety of women, and the narcotics menace.
The action of the TVK government has evoked strong condemnation from the BJP, AIADMK, K. Annamalai and others.
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, in a post on his social media handle, named the blocked channels – Polimer News, News Tamil TV 24×7 and Tamil Janam – and condemned the action of the government. He recalled how another TV channel, Puthiya Thalaimurai, had met with a similar fate recently.
EPS said he was wondering whether there was any censor board operating in Tamil Nadu to monitor what is telecast on electronic media and social media platforms.
He said, “A section of the media is being threatened by a private firm using the name of the Minister’s office, and this firm is said to have been entrusted with the functions of Arasu Cable TV.”
The AIADMK leader asked the TVK government to ensure that the telecast of the channels is carried out without any interruption.
Former BJP leader, K. Annamalai, in a post on the X platform, said, “The TVK government has to roll back the reported removal of the channels from Arasu Cable TV.”
He said, “The broadcast of the three channels has been blocked only because they aired reports on the widespread power supply interruptions.”
Annamalai said the channels had reported on the inefficiency of the TVK government and other issues facing the general public. “It is an act of vendetta. In a democracy, blocking news is not the solution. This is a bad approach. I urge the Tamil Nadu government to resume the broadcast of these three channels on Arasu Cable TV.”
குறிப்பிட்ட மூன்று ஊடகங்களின் ஒளிபரப்பும் தடைப்பட்டுள்ளது என்பதை ஒப்புக்கொண்டமைக்கு முதலில் நன்றி. அது எப்படி, தவெக ஆட்சியின் அவலநிலையை வெளிப்படுத்தும் ஊடகங்களுக்கு மட்டும், செட்டாப் பாக்ஸில் தொழில்நுட்பப் பிரச்சினைகள் வரும்?
பொய்களையும், புரட்டுகளையும், மக்கள் மத்தியில் உண்மை… https://t.co/A20P15h4Ar
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) June 10, 2026
Annamalai thanked the government for accepting the fact that only these three channels were blocked. The government justified the move by claiming that, due to some technical issues in certain set-top boxes, these channels could not be broadcast. While this was the explanation, Annamalai asked, “How were other channels not affected? Why were only these three channels affected?”
Annamalai said the Tamil Nadu fact-check outfit set up by the DMK government was still continuing to set narratives and present lies as truth, concealing blunders and failures while only projecting a positive image of the government.
AMMK General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran also condemned the blocking of the channels on Arasu Cable TV.
Another netizen said, “Joseph Vijay is making Congress proud by applying the same Emergency-style media control in Tamil Nadu as Indira Gandhi. These channels have been targeted by the TVK Joseph Vijay government as they were continuously reporting on issues such as law and order, the alleged excesses of ruling party functionaries, the safety of women and the narcotics menace.”
He said, “This is the Emergency mindset of Congress, now in TVK. Where is the free speech gang?”
Only a couple of days ago, YouTuber Maridhas was arrested in connection with videos allegedly targeting the TVK government and its ministers. However, he was released on a personal bond after the Saidapet Magistrate declined to grant police remand.
So good news is remand rejected by the honourable courts on procedural grounds. @MaridhasAnswers is free !
— karthik gopinath (@karthikgnath) June 8, 2026
Senior Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson Narayanan Tirupathi said, “The arrest of YouTuber @MaridhasAnswers by the current TVK government, which is undoubtedly the DMK’s 2.0 regime, is highly condemnable. A government led by Joseph Vijay that murders democracy and crushes freedom of expression deserves severe condemnation for carrying out such anti-democratic actions. The judiciary, which has already criticised several unwanted arrests by the DMK government, will also condemn the anarchic behaviour of the present TVK Vijay government.”
Critics argue that the TVK government is now following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the ousted DMK government led by M.K. Stalin, by displaying intolerance towards criticism from television channels. They contend that the present administration is proving to be no different from the erstwhile DMK regime in several respects, leading many to believe that it is increasingly mirroring the DMK’s approach, particularly in its alleged attempts to control or influence sections of the media in the state.
