Tamil Nadu: DMK to hold statewide protest on Saturday over Vijay’s Assembly remarks

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. FILE PIC

The main opposition DMK on Wednesday said it would hold state-wide protest on September 12 to condemn what it called "scurrilous remarks" of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's in the Assembly targeting party chief M K Stalin and late party patriarch M Karunanidhi by levelling corruption allegations during their respective regimes.

Vijay's speech in the Assembly is strongly condemnable as it trivialised the party, its late patriarch, the five-time chief minister Karunanidhi, late union minister Murasoli Maran and the sacrifices of party chief Stalin, the party said.

Underlining that Stalin endured "torture" during his one year of imprisonment during the infamous Emergency (1975-77), the party in a statement said that he had then been arrested under the MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act).

The Assembly never witnessed such a "disgusting speech" and by making such remarks, the Assembly's dignity, tradition, and history have all been cast aside, the party alleged.

Unable to answer questions over governance failures, chief minister Vijay has transformed into an individual "without standards" by engaging in crass rhetoric, the DMK alleged.

Condemning Vijay's speech, the party will stage state-wide massive protest on September 12 under the leadership of party's district secretaries.

Mounting a blistering attack on the DMK, a combative Vijay targeted it in the Assembly on September 7 for alleged serious, organised corruption during its previous regimes.

Vijay relied on Sarkaria Commission report to target the DMK government led by Karunanidhi decades ago. The CM had made a reference to Maran as well. The CM cited ED's official documents shared with the state government over alleged corruption during DMK''s 2021-26 regime and named then CM Stalin and his deputy Udhayanidhi in this connection.

According to Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar, there was no official record to indicate that Stalin's detention during the Emergency was under the MISA. The minister had indicated that Stalin was arrested following remarks on late PM Indira Gandhi and her 20-point programme, which was announced following proclamation of Emergency, by the then Congress-led government.

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