But at home, Vijay is being squeezed rather than shielded. The DMK, now in opposition, has announced a big protest in Thanjavur on August 3 — led by Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin — accusing the TVK government of failing farmers on the Cauvery. The PMK’s Anbumani Ramadoss and Cauvery farmer groups, meanwhile, have warned Vijay not to travel to Karnataka at all, arguing that sitting down with Shivakumar over Mekedatu would only weaken Tamil Nadu’s legal position. Ramadoss bluntly told him not to “fall into the trap.” For a chief minister still settling into the job, it is a first big test — with rivals and allies alike watching how he handles it.
