Chennai , 07 September (H.S.):The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed stormy scenes on Monday after Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched a sharp attack on the DMK, accusing its leaders of corruption, nepotism and misuse of political influence.

Replying to the debate on demands for grants for departments under his control, Vijay referred to the Sarkaria Commission report of the 1970s, the Veeranam controversy and the alleged collection of party funds by a group he described as the ‘Karur gang’. His remarks triggered loud protests from DMK legislators.

The opposition members, who had remained silent when Vijay began his reply at 9.56 a.m., later raised slogans, displayed pamphlets and gathered near Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar’s chair. Several legislators staged a sit-in after the Chief Minister departed from his prepared speech and began listing allegations against the DMK and its leaders.

Vijay also invoked songs associated with former Chief Minister and AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran and cited poet Kannadasan while criticising the opposition. Questioning the DMK’s repeated references to the imprisonment of its leaders under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, he said the history behind those claims was widely known. He placed himself in the political tradition of C.N. Annadurai and MGR.

DMK deputy leader K.N. Nehru urged Vijay to ask the Speaker to permit opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin to respond. Vijay indicated that the decision rested with the Chair.

When some protesting members struggled to rise from the floor, Vijay helped DMK legislator Durai Chandrasekar stand and then requested that the opposition be allowed to speak. The members subsequently returned to their seats.

The Speaker, however, rejected their demand, saying they had repeatedly interrupted the Chief Minister. He accused the DMK legislators of attempting to prevent Vijay’s speech from reaching the public during the heated legislative confrontation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman