The main opposition DMK on Wednesday said it would hold a statewide protest on September 12 to condemn what it called "scurrilous remarks" by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay in the Assembly targeting party chief MK Stalin and late party patriarch M Karunanidhi by levelling corruption allegations against their respective regimes.
Vijay's speech in the Assembly is strongly condemnable as it trivialised the party, its late patriarch, the five-time chief minister Karunanidhi, late union minister Murasoli Maran and sacrifices of party chief Stalin, the DMK said.
Underlining that Stalin endured "torture" during his one year of imprisonment during the infamous Emergency (1975-77), the party said in a statement that he had been arrested under the MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act).
The Assembly had never witnessed such a "disgusting speech" and, by making such remarks, the Assembly's dignity, tradition and history had all been cast aside, the party alleged.
Unable to answer questions over governance failures, chief minister Vijay had transformed into an individual "without standards" by engaging in crass rhetoric, the DMK alleged.
Condemning Vijay's speech, the party will stage a massive statewide protest on September 12 under the leadership of its district secretaries.
Mounting a blistering attack on the DMK, a combative Vijay targeted it in the Assembly on September 7 over alleged serious, organised corruption during its previous regimes.
Vijay relied on the Sarkaria Commission report to target the DMK government led by Karunanidhi decades ago. The chief minister also referred to Maran.
The CM cited ED official documents shared with the state government over alleged corruption during the DMK's 2021-26 regime and named then chief minister Stalin and his deputy Udhayanidhi in this connection.
Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar claimed that there was no official record to indicate that Stalin's detention during the Emergency was under the MISA.
The minister had also claimed that Stalin was arrested following remarks on late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her 20-point programme, which was announced following the proclamation of Emergency by the then Congress-led government.
(With inputs from PTI)