Chennai: The opposition DMK staged protests across Tamil Nadu on Saturday, condemning Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over what it described as derogatory remarks against former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and party president M.K. Stalin.
Leading the agitation in Chennai, senior DMK leader P.K. Sekar Babu accused the TVK government of attempting to tarnish the reputation of the party’s leaders through accusations made in the Legislative Assembly.
Sekar Babu praised Stalin’s personality, sacrifices, and commitment to ethical politics, describing him as a humane and unblemished leader.
He said the DMK strongly objected to Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar’s claims regarding Stalin’s imprisonment during the Emergency between 1975 and 1977. The Minister had said that there was no official record showing that Stalin was detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act.
According to Nirmalkumar, Stalin was arrested following remarks concerning former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the 20-point programme announced by the Congress government after the proclamation of Emergency.
Rejecting the Chief Minister’s recent corruption allegations against the previous DMK governments led by Karunanidhi and Stalin, Sekar Babu described Vijay’s Assembly speech as a series of “cinema-style dialogues” delivered for nearly an hour.
He alleged that although DMK members objected to the charges in the House, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was not given adequate opportunity to respond.
Sekar Babu warned that the party would continue to oppose what he called politically motivated attacks.
The controversy erupted after Vijay launched a sharp attack on the DMK in the Assembly on September 7, accusing its earlier governments of serious and organised corruption.
Vijay referred to the Sarkaria Commission report while targeting the Karunanidhi-led government. He also mentioned former Union Minister Murasoli Maran while levelling his allegations.
The Chief Minister further cited Enforcement Directorate documents reportedly shared with the state government concerning alleged corruption during the DMK administration between 2021 and 2026.
He named Stalin, who was then Chief Minister, and Udhayanidhi Stalin, who served as Deputy Chief Minister, in connection with the allegations.
The DMK had earlier condemned Vijay’s speech, alleging that it sought to belittle the party, Karunanidhi, Maran and Stalin’s political sacrifices.
Saturday’s protests were organised to intensify the party’s campaign against the remarks and demand that the Chief Minister withdraw them.
(IANS)
