CHENNAI: The DMK leadership issued a gag order on second-rung leaders, including ministers, restraining them from talking about actor Vijay and his party the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), during the Oraniyil Tamil Nadu public meetings held over the past two days across the state.
According to sources, the party leadership sent messages on WhatsApp to the functionaries prior to these meetings, which were conducted by the party’s district units on September 20 and 21. During these gatherings, the DMK cadre and all the participants took a pledge, ‘I will not let Tamil Nadu bow its head in shame’.
At one such meeting held in the Kancheepuram South district unit, Handlooms and Textiles Minister R Gandhi openly revealed it, saying, “We have been ordered not to speak about them (TVK). They are speaking about us, but we are not allowed to respond.”
Similarly, in the meeting in Tiruvarur, where TVK chief and actor Vijay had campaigned only a couple of days ago, DMK principal secretary K N Nehru said, “I am standing on this stage with my mouth plastered.”
Tiruvarur district secretary and MLA Poondi K Kalaivanan mobilised a huge gathering there with the aim of surpassing the TVK crowd. Similarly, a massive number of participants attended the Oraniyil TN meeting at Tiruchy. Party president and Chief Minister M K Stalin shared photos of these two meetings on his X account and noted, “For the past two days, people gathered to take the pledge at 72 district units. I wholeheartedly thank them.”
When asked about the gag order, R S Bharathi, party organisation secretary, said, “Our focus was on explaining to the people about the achievements of the state government and the troubles caused by the centre. Speaking about other things would be a distraction. So we wanted them to stick to the topic.”