In response to comments made by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay and references to the Sarkaria Commission during the recent session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, DMK president and former Chief Minister MK Stalin has released a video message. Stalin stated that he understands the recent events in the assembly have sparked anger among the Tamil people and party workers. Because his own history of imprisonment has become a major part of this ongoing dispute, he felt it necessary to clarify the facts. Stalin acknowledged that what Chief Minister Vijay said was indeed true and contained no falsehoods. During the Emergency on January 30, 1976, following a massive protest against the MISA act on Marina Beach, the then DMK government was dismissed.
Gopalapuram Residence and the Arrest Memories
Recalling the events surrounding his arrest, Stalin explained that immediately after the government was dismissed, police arrived at his Gopalapuram residence to arrest him while he was away. Kalaignar told the police that his son was out campaigning and would return the next day, asking them to come back then. When Stalin returned the following day, Kalaignar himself instructed the police to take him into custody. Kalaignar remains a deeply respected and significant figure in Tamil politics, literature, and cinema. In the Tamil language, the title means scholar of art or artist, and it was bestowed upon former Chief Minister and late DMK leader M. Karunanidhi for his versatile contributions.
Prison Torture and Historic Struggles
In his video message, MK Stalin detailed the harsh conditions and torture he endured while imprisoned, noting that he was kept in an area designated for leprosy patients. He was beaten with lathis, denied sleep at night, and subjected to severe beatings by inmates serving life sentences. He stated that his colleague and Member of Parliament Chittibabu was severely beaten in jail and ultimately died from those injuries. During the assault, Stalin's jawbone was fractured, confirming that the gesture made by the Chief Minister in the assembly pointing toward his jaw was entirely accurate.
Stalin emphasized that everyone who has fought for the rights of the Tamil people has faced similar oppression, noting that this has been the history of the DMK since the days of C.N. Annadurai, whom the Chief Minister regards as his ideological leader. He expressed pride in being a part of that history, adding that no matter how hard anyone tries, history cannot be rewritten or altered. For anyone with doubts, the assembly library holds documents and records detailing his struggle. Regarding the Sarkaria Commission, Stalin asserted that the Chief Minister has been repeating allegations originally raised by individuals harboring personal animosity toward Kalaignar.
Stalin pointed out that governments have changed multiple times at both the state and central levels since the commission was established, and if there were any truth to those allegations, legal action surely would have been taken. He noted that roughly 95 percent of cases registered by the Enforcement Directorate are widely recognized as politically motivated. He questioned how the Chief Minister overlooked the fact that leaders of the Congress party, who are part of his political alliance, have also faced numerous ED investigations while he labels the central government his ideological opponent.
Personal Meetings and Political Criticisms
Recalling a personal interaction, Stalin reminded the audience that after becoming Chief Minister, Joseph Vijay had visited his home, held his hand to welcome him, and apologized for the sharp criticisms made during the election campaign. Stalin had stated then that he did not take those remarks to heart and believed a leader holding the office of Chief Minister should speak about everyone with dignity. However, it now appears that all of those pleasantries have been forgotten.
Stalin accused Vijay of standing on bridges constructed by the DMK merely to conduct photo shoots, turning the legislative assembly into a place for making social media reels, and running the administration like a movie production. He alleged that these entertaining reels are used to distract the public and cover up an incompetent administration. He criticized the current government for failing on law and order, pointing to daily thefts and rising crimes against women. Furthermore, he noted that canceling the Parandur airport project has pushed Tamil Nadu's development back by 15 years, promises of comprehensive farm loan waivers remain unfulfilled, the pledge to provide six LPG cylinders has been reduced to three, and women are receiving only 1,000 rupees instead of the promised 2,500 rupees initiated by the DMK.
Concluding his message, Stalin urged party cadres never to view the loss of power as a defeat, stressing that whether in government or opposition, the party must continue fighting for the development and rights of Tamil Nadu. The political friction follows sharp accusations made by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay during the early September assembly session regarding past corruption under the previous DMK administration and references to the Sarkaria Commission.
