Chennai, 12 September (H.S.):The DMK held demonstrations across Tamil Nadu on Saturday, intensifying its campaign against Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over his recent remarks targeting former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and party president M.K. Stalin.

Party workers and functionaries participated in protests in several parts of the State, accusing Vijay and the TVK government of using the Legislative Assembly to make politically motivated allegations against the DMK leadership.

Senior DMK leader P.K. Sekar Babu, who led the agitation in Chennai, alleged that the ruling party was attempting to damage the reputation of Karunanidhi and Stalin by levelling unsubstantiated accusations against them.

Sekar Babu defended Stalin's public record, describing him as a humane and principled leader known for his sacrifices and commitment to ethical politics. He also criticised Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar's claims concerning Stalin's imprisonment during the Emergency.

Nirmalkumar had maintained that there was no official record showing that Stalin was detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act between 1975 and 1977. According to the Minister, Stalin was arrested following remarks related to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Congress government's 20-point programme.

Sekar Babu also rejected Vijay's corruption allegations against the previous DMK governments led by Karunanidhi and Stalin. He described the Chief Minister's Assembly address as a series of 'cinema-style dialogues' delivered for nearly an hour.

The DMK leader alleged that Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was not given adequate opportunity to respond to the charges in the House.

The controversy erupted after Vijay launched a sharp attack on the DMK in the Assembly on September 7, accusing its previous governments of serious and organised corruption. He referred to the Sarkaria Commission report and mentioned former Union Minister Murasoli Maran while presenting his allegations.

Vijay also cited Enforcement Directorate documents reportedly shared with the State government concerning alleged corruption during the DMK administration between 2021 and 2026. The DMK has demanded that Vijay withdraw his remarks.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman