The DMK staged statewide protests in Tamil Nadu on Saturday against alleged objectionable remarks made by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay in the Assembly about the late party stalwart M. Karunanidhi and DMK president M. K. Stalin. The party also protested claims by Law Minister R. Nirmal Kumar concerning Stalin’s arrest during the Emergency and allegations of corruption against previous DMK governments.
DMK workers and leaders staged protests in Chennai and various parts of the state against Chief Minister Vijay’s remarks. Senior leader P. K. Sekar Babu, who led the protest, praised M. K. Stalin’s political contribution, struggles, personality and humanitarian approach.
Sekar Babu described Stalin as a leader who follows ethics and values and referred to him as “Mr Clean”. He said such a leader with an unblemished record was targeted in the Assembly by the TVK-led government, prompting the DMK to object.
He also opposed claims made by Law Minister R. Nirmal Kumar regarding Stalin’s arrest during the Emergency.
The DMK leader said the party had objected in the Assembly to the Law Minister’s claims concerning Stalin’s detention during the Emergency.
According to Law Minister R. Nirmal Kumar, there is no official record indicating that Stalin was arrested under MISA during the Emergency.
The minister had claimed that Stalin was arrested following alleged remarks against then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her 20-point programme. The programme was announced by the then Congress-led central government after the Emergency was imposed in 1975.
The issue has further intensified the political confrontation between the DMK and the government.
The DMK also bly protested Chief Minister Vijay’s September 7 speech in the Assembly. The party said the speech was highly condemnable and allegedly sought to undermine the political struggles and contributions of the party, late five-time Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, former Union Minister Murasoli Maran and DMK president M. K. Stalin.
According to the DMK, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was not given sufficient opportunity to respond to the allegations made in the Chief Minister’s speech. The party claimed that objections were raised in the House over the allegations, but Udhayanidhi Stalin was not permitted to respond.
During the protest, Sekar Babu rejected corruption allegations made by Chief Minister Vijay regarding the periods of DMK governments. He said the Chief Minister spent around an hour in the Assembly making allegations in the manner of “cinema-style dialogue”.
The DMK leader claimed that the party had opposed the Chief Minister’s allegations in the House. He said the party was standing in the field like a “wounded tiger” and would one day respond to everything in the same manner.
These remain political claims and allegations made by the DMK leader. The available information does not include any new response from the government or Chief Minister Vijay to the protests.
Chief Minister Vijay had launched a sharp attack on the DMK in the Assembly on September 7. He alleged serious and organised corruption during the party’s previous governments.
In support of his allegations, the Chief Minister cited the Sarkaria Commission report. He raised matters related to the DMK government led by M. Karunanidhi decades ago and also referred to late Union Minister Murasoli Maran in this context.
Following the speech, the DMK accused the Chief Minister of violating political propriety and criticised his remarks.
In his Assembly speech, Chief Minister Vijay also referred to alleged corruption cases linked to the DMK’s 2021-26 tenure.
He said official documents shared by the Enforcement Directorate, or ED, with the state government contained information related to alleged corruption. In this context, the Chief Minister referred to the names of then Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and his then Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
The DMK has staged statewide protests against the Chief Minister over these allegations. The party described the allegations as a political attack, while the Chief Minister and his government had raised corruption allegations in the Assembly.
The dispute between Chief Minister Vijay and the DMK has intensified the confrontation in Tamil Nadu Assembly politics. Vijay has levelled corruption-related allegations against the DMK’s previous governments and its prominent leaders, while the opposition party has accused the Chief Minister of politically targeting its late leaders and current leadership.
The DMK has particularly defended Karunanidhi’s political legacy and Stalin’s leadership. Party leaders said opposition to the Chief Minister’s remarks would continue at the political and organisational levels.
At the same time, corruption allegations raised in the Assembly by the government and questions concerning Stalin’s detention during the Emergency have added another political dimension to the dispute.
The matter remains a subject of political debate amid allegations and counter-allegations from both sides. According to the available information, different political claims have been made regarding the corruption allegations and Stalin’s detention during the Emergency. The material does not provide any conclusion on the final legal status of these claims.
