There has been much discourse around how the delay in the release of Jana Nayagan has been driven by political motivations, especially involving those associated with the BJP. The discourse started from the time there have been talks of a delay in the film's censorship clearance. Many Congress members alleged political play in the delayed release of the film and backed Vijay. The latest to jump on the Jana Nayagan bandwagon is Rahul Gandhi. Alleging that the delayed censorship clearance is an attempt by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to block its release, Rahul called it "an attack on Tamil culture". He also alleged BJP's involvement in the issue. "Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people," Rahul Gandhi wrote.

This is not the first time Rahul is supporting Vijay in a widely-discussed issue pertaining to the film industry. When the actor's film Mersal ran into opposition from the right-wing, he wrote, "Mr. Modi, Cinema is a deep expression of Tamil culture and language. Don't try to demon-etise Tamil pride by interfering in Mersal."

According to reports, Rahul has also empathised with Vijay in the Karur stampede controversy.

Rahul's public support for Jana Nayagan and Vijay comes amid talks of Congress allying with the actor's party, TVK.