The main opposition DMK staged protests across the state on Saturday, condemning Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over his alleged "scurrilous remarks" against late party patriarch M Karunanidhi and party president M K Stalin.
Senior leader PK Sekar Babu, leading the protest here, praised Stalin for his "sacrifices, personality, and for being humane," and also lauded him as "Mr Clean," who followed ethics and values.
Such an unblemished leader was targeted in the Assembly by the TVK-led government and DMK objected to Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar's claims vis-a-vis Stalin's incarceration during the infamous Emergency (1975-77), he said.
Babu dismissed CM Vijay's recent allegations of corruption during the DMK regimes led by Karunanidhi and Stalin as mere "cinema style dialogues delivered for about an hour," in the Assembly.
It was objected by the DMK in the House and permission was not granted for Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin to respond to allegations, he claimed adding, "the DMK is an injured tiger that is standing in the field and one day, everything will be paid back in the same coin."
The DMK had days ago said that Vijay's speech in the Assembly was strongly condemnable as it trivialised the party, five-time chief minister Karunanidhi, late union minister Murasoli Maran and the sacrifices of party chief Stalin.
Mounting a blistering attack on the DMK, a combative Vijay targeted it in the Assembly on September 7 for alleged serious, organised corruption during its previous regimes.
Vijay relied on Sarkaria Commission report to target the DMK government led by Karunanidhi decades ago.
The CM had made a reference to Maran as well in this regard.
The CM cited ED's official documents shared with the state government over alleged corruption during DMK's 2021-26 regime and named then CM Stalin and his deputy Udhayanidhi in this connection.
According to Law Minister Nirmal Kumar, there was no official record to indicate that Stalin's detention during the Emergency was under the MISA.
The minister had indicated that Stalin was arrested following remarks on late PM Indira Gandhi and her 20-point programme, which was announced following proclamation of Emergency, by the then Congress-led government at the Centre.
(With inputs from PTI)
