The police in Tamil Nadu have registered cases against senior leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) A Raja, PK Sekar Bau and party MLA Vasantham Karthikeyan, over alleged defamatory remarks against state Chief Minister (CM) C Joseph Vijay, reported news agency PTI, quoting an official on Tuesday. 

The cases pertain to remarks allegedly made during the demonstrations staged by the DMK on September 12, amid an intensifying bitter political row over CM Vijay’s references to the detention of DMK president MK Stalin under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency. 

Raja’s remarks trigger row

At a DMK protest organised to condemn CM Vijay’s speech in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Raja responded to comments made by the CM and TVK minister Nirmal Kumar. 

While addressing the historical dispute, the former Union Minister also made a personal remark questioning Kumar’s parentage. He then took an aim at Vijay, saying the actor-turned-politician was ‘not a great actor’ and allegedly used an offensive term against him, as per news agency ANI. 

Raja later expressed remorse over his remarks concerning Kumar following backlash from several quarters. In a post uploaded on social media on Sunday, the DMK’s deputy general secretary said he regretted ‘questioning him,’ without naming the minister. 

Several political parties, including the Congress and the left, criticised Raja over the remarks. DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi also slammed his statements. 

MISA controversy fuels DMK-TVK clash

The recent dispute traces its roots to Vijay’s remarks about MISA during the latest proceedings in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The TVK chief had also held his jaw with one hand, seemingly making a gesture that some interpreted as a reference to Stalin’s jaw injury following his arrest under MISA during the Emergency. 

Vijay later clarified that his body language was unintentional and that it was not directed at anyone. He said there was no ‘ulterior motive’ behind the gesture. 

Nevertheless, the act drew objections from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India, which extend outside support to the ruling TVK government. DMK leaders, including president Stalin, hit back at Vijay thereafter. 

Stalin accused CM Vijay of raising unnecessary controversies in the Assembly and alleged that Vijay was relying on social media reels as well as publicity to conceal administrative failures. 

Stalin recounts Emergency-era detention

Stalin has repeatedly recalled his arrest during the Emergency era while responding to the political uproar. He said the DMK had organised a major gathering at Marina Beach in 1976 to oppose the Emergency and MISA. As per him, police subsequently went to the Karunanidhi residence in Gopalapuram to lay hands on him.

Stalin maintained that he was away campaigning when the cops arrived. His father and veteran DMK leader M Karunanidhi reportedly told them that his son had gone campaigning and would return the next day. 

Stalin added, “When I came, he himself called the police and asked them to arrest me.”

Recalling his time in custody, Stalin alleged that he was roughed up in prison and had sustained a broken jawbone, adding that the scars from those injuries remain even today.