Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has explained a viral hand gesture he made after concluding seat-sharing talks with the Congress party. The gesture, which went viral on social media, was misunderstood by many as signaling the end of all issues and problems in the state. Stalin said that the gesture was spontaneous and unplanned. He had just finished finalizing the agreement with the Congress party and was leaving the venue when he was asked by reporters if the talks were over. In response, he made a hand gesture and said “it’s over” or “finished”. The chief minister explained that he was simply indicating that the discussions were complete and there was nothing left to be decided. However, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed Stalin over the incident, claiming that under the DMK government, law and order, women’s safety, and social justice had “come to an end”. The controversy arose after Stalin made the gesture while leaving the venue of a wedding in the family of School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on March 5. The video of the gesture was widely shared on social media, with many interpreting it as a sign that all issues had been resolved. Stalin’s explanation has not calmed the controversy, with Palaniswami continuing to criticize him for his “vain pride” and lack of concern for the state’s problems. The seat-sharing agreement between the DMK and Congress parties was finalized on March 4 at the party headquarters Anna Arivalayam, with the DMK allotting 28 Assembly seats to the Congress and one Rajya Sabha seat for the March 16 biennial election. The controversy has sparked debate about the state of affairs in Tamil Nadu under the DMK government. While Stalin’s supporters see him as a leader who is working hard to improve the state, his critics argue that he is out of touch with the real issues affecting ordinary people.