EntertainmentPosted at: Jan 13 2026 3:39PM


Rahul Gandhi slams Centre over delay in Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ release

New Delhi, Jan 13 (UNI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting over the continued delay in the release of actor Vijay’s film ‘Jana Nayagan’, calling the move an “attack on Tamil culture.”
The film, slated for release on January 9, remains uncertified after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) withheld clearance, triggering a legal battle. The controversy escalated after the Madras High Court stayed the film’s censor certification, prompting the producers to approach the Supreme Court.
Taking to X, Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of attempting to silence Tamil voices. “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,” he wrote.
Jana Nayagan, which stars actor-politician Vijay and is widely seen as his final film before entering full-time politics, was expected to be a major Pongal release.
However, on January 6, the CBFC referred the film to a Revising Committee, citing objections related to religious sentiments and the depiction of the armed forces, leading to its postponement.
Producer Venkat K Narayana of KVN Productions LLP moved the Madras High Court seeking directions to allow the film’s release as scheduled. On January 9, a single-judge bench directed the CBFC to immediately issue the censor certificate.
Later the same day, the CBFC filed an urgent appeal before a division bench, which stayed the order and adjourned the matter to January 20, observing that the CBFC had not been given sufficient opportunity to present its case.
In his petition, the producer stated that the film was initially submitted for certification in December 2025. After suggested modifications were made, a revised version was submitted on December 24.
According to Venkat, the CBFC’s Chennai regional office confirmed on December 29 that the revised film would be certified, but technical issues on the CBFC portal delayed the final process.
On January 5, the producers were informed that the CBFC Chairperson had referred the film to a Revising Committee under Rule 24 of the Cinematograph Certification Rules, following a complaint from a member of the Examining Committee that had earlier cleared the film. The Chairperson’s order was uploaded the following day.
In its January 9 ruling, the single bench held that referring the film to a Revising Committee after accepting the Examining Committee’s recommendation was unsustainable, terming the complaint from the committee member untenable.
With the High Court’s interim stay still in force and the film remaining uncertified, the producers have now approached the Supreme Court seeking relief.
Earlier, several Congress leaders, including MPs Jothimani and Manickam Tagore, had condemned the CBFC’s actions, alleging a systematic erosion of the constitutional right to free speech and expression.
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