Tamil Nadu Police have registered cases against DMK MP A Raja and MLAs P K Sekar Babu and Vasantham Karthikeyan following remarks made during party protests against Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. The cases relate to alleged derogatory or defamatory comments made during demonstrations held on September 12.
The DMK had organised statewide protests after Vijay made remarks in the Tamil Nadu Assembly concerning party president and former Chief Minister M K Stalin’s detention under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency.
During the protests, A Raja strongly criticised Vijay and also made remarks about Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar while responding to the minister’s comments about Stalin’s MISA detention. Police registered a case against Raja in Chennai following a complaint by a TVK functionary. Raja later expressed regret over some of his remarks concerning the minister.
A separate case was registered against P K Sekar Babu, the DMK Harbour MLA, over alleged derogatory remarks against Vijay during a protest in Chennai. Another case was registered in Kallakurichi against Vasantham Karthikeyan, the DMK MLA from Rishivandhiyam, over alleged remarks against the Chief Minister.
The dispute began after Vijay raised questions in the Assembly about Stalin’s detention under MISA. The issue has since developed into a wider political dispute between the ruling TVK and opposition DMK.
The controversy also involves differing statements over the circumstances of Stalin’s detention during the 1975–77 Emergency. DMK leaders maintain that Stalin was detained under MISA, while Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar has publicly questioned whether an official detention order exists to support that claim.
The police cases are currently allegations and do not by themselves establish guilt. The developments have added another legal dimension to the ongoing political dispute between the two parties.