Chennai, Sept. 12: The DMK on Saturday stepped up its opposition to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over his recent Assembly remarks targeting former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and party president M.K. Stalin, staging protests across Tamil Nadu and demanding withdrawal of the statements.
Senior DMK leader P.K. Sekar Babu led the protest in Chennai and accused the TVK government of trying to damage the reputation of the party’s leaders through allegations raised in the Legislative Assembly. He also criticised Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar’s claims about Stalin’s detention during the Emergency between 1975 and 1977.
Nirmalkumar had said there was no official record showing that Stalin was detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act. According to the minister, Stalin was arrested over remarks concerning former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the 20-point programme announced by the Congress government after the Emergency was proclaimed.
The DMK rejected that account and defended Stalin’s political record, with Sekar Babu describing him as a leader known for personal sacrifice and commitment to ethical politics. He also rejected Vijay’s allegations of corruption against earlier DMK governments led by Karunanidhi and Stalin.
Sekar Babu criticised Vijay’s September 7 Assembly speech, describing it as “cinema-style dialogues” delivered over nearly an hour. He alleged that DMK members had objected to the accusations inside the House but that Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin did not receive adequate opportunity to respond.
The dispute intensified after Vijay used his Assembly speech to accuse previous DMK governments of serious and organised corruption. He invoked the Sarkaria Commission report while targeting the government led by Karunanidhi and also referred to former Union Minister Murasoli Maran while making his allegations.
Vijay further cited Enforcement Directorate documents reportedly shared with the state government concerning alleged corruption during the 2021-2026 DMK administration. He named M.K. Stalin, who was Chief Minister during that period, and Udhayanidhi Stalin, who served as Deputy Chief Minister, in connection with the allegations.
The DMK had previously condemned the speech, alleging that it belittled the party, Karunanidhi, Maran and the political sacrifices associated with Stalin.
Saturday’s statewide protests marked an escalation of the party’s campaign against Vijay’s remarks. The DMK said it would continue opposing what Sekar Babu characterised as politically motivated attacks and pressed the Chief Minister to withdraw his statements.
