DMK to Hold Statewide Protests Over CM Vijay's Assembly Remarks on Stalin

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has announced that it will stage demonstrations at its district headquarters across Tamil Nadu on September 12, 2026, to protest against Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's recent speech in the state Assembly. The party alleges that Mr. Vijay's remarks denigrated its president, M.K. Stalin, particularly regarding his arrest and imprisonment during the Emergency.

In a statement issued from the party headquarters, the DMK said the Chief Minister's speech ridiculed the sacrifices of leaders like Kalaignar (the late M. Karunanidhi), former Union Minister Murasoli Maran, and M.K. Stalin, who was arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) at the age of 23 and tortured in prison. The party called the speech "highly condemnable" and said Tamil Nadu had never witnessed such an abhorrent address.

The DMK also accused Mr. Vijay of throwing the dignity of the Assembly to the winds, claiming that the portraits of leaders adorning the House walls would have "hung their heads in shame and shed tears." The party further alleged that some Ministers were spreading their remarks through memes and reels even after realising they were wrong, and that they were expunging statements only after they had reached the public.

Taking a swipe at the Chief Minister's political rise, the DMK said Mr. Vijay, unable to answer questions on his government's failures, had resorted to indecent and uncivil speeches. It claimed he became Chief Minister by capitalising on his film-world appeal and social media image, and that he formed the government without a majority by offering positions to those who won on DMK alliance tickets. The party also accused him of indulging in horse-trading by promising ministerial berths to AIADMK winners.