MADURAI: The war of words continues to escalate as Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai has strongly condemned the remarks made by DMK Madurai Urban district secretary and Madurai north MLA G Thalapathi at a public meeting in the city, accusing him of insulting the Congress party on a platform meant to honour martyrs of the anti-Hindi agitation.
In a statement posted on his 'X' handle late on Monday, Selvaperunthagai said Thalapathi’s speech at the Mozhipor Thiyagigal Veeravanakkam Naal public meeting held at Subramaniyapuram was “unnecessary and highly condemnable”. He said the event, organised to pay tribute to those who laid down their lives for language rights, social justice and democracy, should not have been used to target an alliance partner.
“Speaking in a derogatory manner about a coalition party and its leaders on a stage meant to honour martyrs is against the spirit of alliance politics and democratic values,” Selvaperunthagai said.
Responding to Thalapathi’s claim that the Congress lacked grassroots strength in Tamil Nadu, the TNCC chief asserted that the party was organisationally strong across the State. “The Congress is functioning with a robust structure throughout Tamil Nadu. The work of forming booth committees is nearing 100% completion, and 85% of village-level committees have already been constituted,” he said.
He added that through organisational reforms and active engagement at the village sabha level, the Congress was taking up issues related to people’s rights, dignity and livelihoods directly to the masses. Selvaperunthagai also rejected allegations regarding the party’s organisational weakness, stating that such claims were far removed from ground realities.
Calling Thalapathi’s comments an affront to the dignity of alliance politics, Selvaperunthagai urged Chief Minister M K Stalin to take immediate and appropriate action against the DMK leader for publicly insulting the Congress party and its Members of Parliament.
The statement was issued in response to Thalapathi’s speech on Sunday, in which he had launched a sharp attack on the Congress, criticising its leaders for demanding a share in power in Tamil Nadu and questioning the party’s booth-level presence in the State.
Earlier on Monday with Congress MP Manickam Tagore hitting back at the DMK. In a social media post, Tagore asserted that he would insist party higher-ups on fielding its own candidate in Madurai North, in response to Thalapathi' remark.