Chennai, Sep 10 (IANS): Political tensions in Tamil Nadu have intensified following remarks by DMK president M.K. Stalin over Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s alleged body-shaming gesture in the Assembly, as the Opposition parties slammed the TVK chief over his conduct in the House and the functioning of the state government.
Stalin on Thursday said the alleged gesture made by Vijay in the Assembly was reflective of the treatment he himself had suffered during the Emergency, when he was brutally attacked by police personnel in prison and sustained injuries to his jawbones.
Two days after the Chief Minister’s “jaw” gesture during an Assembly speech, which the DMK viewed as a mockery of party president M.K. Stalin, the former Chief Minister hit back by recalling his experience in prison during the Emergency.
In a strong rebuttal to Vijay’s gesture, which the Chief Minister later clarified was not intentional, Stalin recounted how he had suffered a jaw injury during what he described as “torture” in jail.
Reacting to Stalin’s remarks over Vijay’s conduct in the Assembly, DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan launched a sharp attack on the Chief Minister and questioned his behaviour inside the House.
“He has become a comedian. People watching him speak in the Assembly say, ‘What a foolish act he is doing.’ As a Chief Minister, he is responsible. He should behave properly. He should speak on subjects raised in the House. However, when the Opposition raised questions during this Assembly session regarding the Home Minister, he did not answer any of those questions honestly,” Elangovan claimed.
The DMK spokesperson also criticised the TVK-led coalition after it was named the ‘Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance’, questioning whether the coalition lived up to the principles reflected in its name.
“They cannot function. You see, with this Chief Minister in power and not answering a single charge made by the Leader of the Opposition and others in the House, what kind of justice can we expect from this government? So, they are not what the name suggests,” Elangovan said.
He further questioned the coalition’s claim of secularism while alleging that people associated with the TVK were involved in purchasing or swindling temple land worth hundreds of crores.
“They say that it is the ‘Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance,’ and they are purchasing temple land. No action has been taken against them. So, they are cheating one section of society, the Hindus, and they say that they are secular. What kind of secularism is this, when people belonging to TVK are purchasing — or rather, swindling — temple land worth hundreds of crores?” he alleged.
The AIADMK also joined the political attack, saying there was “little difference” between the DMK and TVK apart from their names and accusing both parties of relying on publicity and claims that did not match reality.
AIADMK National Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan claimed, “The DMK has relied on fake publicity, fake claims and fake achievements. M. K. Stalin used to go abroad, making the same claims about seeking investments, but those trips were all for his leisure and personal purposes. It looks like Mr Vijay is following in the footsteps of M. K. Stalin, taking a leisure trip in the name of attracting investments at the cost of public money.”
Sathyan, however, said that irrespective of the political allegations being exchanged, there was a need to maintain decorum inside the Assembly, particularly when the person involved was the Chief Minister.
“Whatever was stated in the Assembly cannot be negated. But yes, there is a certain decorum that must be maintained in the Assembly. Mr Vijay, being the Chief Minister of the state, could have at least ensured that there was sufficient decorum inside the Assembly,” he said.
He alleged that Vijay had treated the Assembly proceedings as though they were part of a film shoot, rather than maintaining the standards expected from the Chief Minister of the state.
“He turned the Assembly into a cinema space where a shoot was taking place. So, that’s not right. He should have maintained the decorum,” Sathyan added.
The political exchange comes against the backdrop of the controversy over Vijay’s alleged gesture in the Assembly, which was interpreted by the DMK as a personal jibe at Stalin. Vijay later clarified that the gesture was not intentional.
