Stalin Rebuts Vijay's Assembly Gesture, Recalls Emergency-Era Prison Abuse
MK Stalin has responded to CM Vijay's assembly jaw gesture, calling the claims politically motivated and recounting his Emergency-era imprisonment.
DMK president M K Stalin on Thursday broke his silence over Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's jaw gesture in the state assembly, dismissing the remarks as "politically motivated lies" and recalling the physical abuse he endured in prison during the Emergency.
In a video posted on social media, Stalin said the claims were spread by those harbouring long-standing grudges against former chief minister M Karunanidhi. The controversy had erupted after some people interpreted Vijay's gesture during his September 7 assembly speech as a mockery of Stalin, linking it to claims that Stalin suffered a jaw fracture while incarcerated during the Emergency between 1975 and 1977.
Vijay later clarified that the move was involuntary and was not intended to hurt anyone's feelings personally.
Addressing the matter directly, Stalin said Vijay was correct about the MISA history. He recounted the suppression during the Emergency, including his own arrest on January 31, 1976, after Karunanidhi protested against the Maintenance of Internal Security Act.
"I realise that some controversies that occurred in the recently concluded Legislative Assembly session have caused anger and dissatisfaction among the Tamil people and our brethren. Since my prison history is a key part of this controversy, I wish to clarify it," Stalin said in the video.
"Brother Vijay, what you said is true; it is not a lie. During the Emergency, our leader Kalaignar held a massive meeting at Marina Beach to oppose it and harshly criticised the MISA," he added.
Stalin's response marks his first public comment on the assembly episode, which had triggered a political row over the interpretation of the chief minister's gesture.