On Monday, Thalapathy Vijay hit the headlines after Justice S.M Subramaniam of the Madras High Court fined him Rs 1 lakh for seeking entry tax exemption for an ultra-luxury Rolls Royce Ghost car he imported in 2012. The judge in his order had harshly accused the much-loved star of tax evasion, which sparked a social media controversy.
Vijay fans then took to the internet to clarify that the leading star of the South had paid all the necessary taxes for the vehicle including lifetime tax, 165 percent import duty amounting to 11 Crores for the 7 Crores worth car. They also pointed out that Vijay went to court because there was a dispute over the entry tax with the RTO officers and the Assistant Commissioner of Taxes having two different opinions. They have also held that the actor paid the entry tax to register his automobile in 2012 itself and only sought the exemption if applicable.
Vijay has received support from the most unexpected quarters in the form of actress and BJP spokesperson Gayathri Raghuram has voiced her opinion in this issue. She has tweeted “Vijay has always been a real-life hero to many poor people. He has donated for COVID PM care funds and CM care funds. He has helped many students for education. He Helps his fans (family). The media should not malign one’s character. The matter was in court and ends in court. We should not forget the help. For one court matter we cannot assassinate his good deeds.He has requested only for entry tax exemption for the car. If the court doesn’t grant it, he is going to pay. Simple..”
It is a well-known fact that TN BJP leaders have always taken a stand against Vijay and H.Raja especially addressed him as Joseph Vijay and has severely criticized him in the past. For a change, a member of the national party has taken a positive side with regards to the actor.