Assembly Gesture Row: Stalin Hits Back at Vijay, Says ‘Running Administration Like Cinema’

Chennai

oi-Madhuri Adnal

DMK president MK Stalin has hit back at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Vijay over his recent remarks on the Emergency and the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), telling him not to bring “unnecessary controversies” into the Assembly.

In a video posted on X on Thursday, Stalin recalled his arrest during the Emergency in 1976 and spoke about the alleged assault he faced while in custody. He said what happened to him was part of the DMK’s history and could not simply be rewritten.

Addressing Vijay as “Thambi Vijay”, Stalin said, “History can never be changed.” He also accused the chief minister of relying on social media reels and publicity to divert attention from what he described as shortcomings in his administration.

“You [CM Vijay] turned the Assembly itself into a place where reels happen, standing on the bridge we built and doing photoshoots, you are running the administration also, just like a cinema shooting. To hide your inefficient administration, you are posting various reels like this and cheating a whole generation,” Stalin said.

The remarks came two days after Vijay clarified his hand gesture while speaking about MISA in the Assembly. Vijay had said the gesture was “not in any way intentional”. The gesture, in which he held his hand near his jaw, was widely seen as a reference to the injury Stalin suffered during his detention in 1976.

Stalin recalls arrest after DMK government was dismissed

Stalin said the DMK had held a major gathering at Marina Beach in 1976 to oppose the Emergency and protest against MISA.

He recalled that the Union government dismissed the DMK government on January 31, 1976. Police then went to the Karunanidhi residence in Gopalapuram looking for him, Stalin said.

At the time, he was away campaigning.

“The Union Government that was in power at that time, on 31st January 1976, dismissed the DMK government. The very next second after dismissing the government, police came to the Gopalapuram house to arrest me under the MISA Act,” Stalin said.

According to Stalin, his father M Karunanidhi told the police that he was away and would return the next day. He then asked them to come back when Stalin returned.

Stalin said that when he came home, Karunanidhi himself called the police and asked them to arrest him.

“When I came, he himself called the police and asked them to arrest me,” he said.

வீட்ல என்னை meet பண்ணப்ப சொன்னதை மறந்துட்டீங்களா தம்பி விஜய்? pic.twitter.com/kzpwXi14L8

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 10, 2026

Stalin was later detained under MISA. His imprisonment during the Emergency has remained one of the defining episodes of his political career.

Other senior DMK leaders, including Murasoli Maran and Chitti Babu, were also detained during the period. Stalin has previously spoken about the violence he says he and other detainees faced in custody.

‘My jawbone was broken’

Stalin said the conditions inside the prison were extremely poor and alleged that detainees were repeatedly beaten by police and other prisoners.

He said he suffered a serious injury to his jaw during the assaults and continues to have scars from the incident.

Stalin also recalled the death of DMK leader and former Madras mayor Chitti Babu, who died while in prison. Stalin has previously said Chitti Babu took blows meant for him during his detention.

“Due to their beating, my dear brother, Member of Parliament Chitti Babu, died inside the jail itself. Due to their beating, my jawbone was broken. You also showed it like this, keeping your hand near the jaw, right? That is correct. Even today, I have the scars of the beatings I received. I am not saying no,” Stalin said.

Stalin asks Vijay to check the records

Stalin said his experience during the Emergency was part of the DMK’s political history, which he traced back to party founder CN Annadurai.

“You say you are an ideological leader. From the time of Perarignar Anna, this is the history of the DMK. That I am also part of that history is a matter of pride for me,” he said.

He urged Vijay to look at official records and read about his political journey before questioning what happened during the Emergency.

“If you have any doubts…Go and read my history of struggle. You will understand what the truth is,” Stalin said.

Stalin responds to Sarkaria Commission remarks

Stalin also took issue with Vijay’s remarks about the Sarkaria Commission and allegations of corruption involving former chief minister M Karunanidhi.

He said governments had changed several times at both the Centre and in Tamil Nadu since the commission was set up. If the allegations had resulted in findings warranting action, he said, action would have been taken.

Stalin accused Vijay of reviving allegations against Karunanidhi out of “political vendetta”.

He also questioned Vijay’s reference to an Enforcement Directorate letter while raising corruption allegations against DMK leaders. Stalin claimed that most of the cases filed by the agency had not ended in convictions and alleged that the ED was being used for political purposes.

‘Assembly is not a place for unnecessary controversies’

Stalin said the Assembly should be used to debate issues that directly affect people, including law and order, welfare schemes, Tamil Nadu’s rights and the state’s development.

“My request is that you should not talk about unnecessary controversies in the Assembly,” he said.

He also brought up a meeting with Vijay after the latter became chief minister. Stalin said Vijay had visited his residence and apologised for remarks he had made against Stalin during the election campaign.

“I said, it’s okay, brother. I don’t keep all that in my heart,” Stalin recalled.

But Stalin said Vijay now holds the state’s top elected office and should therefore conduct himself accordingly.

“A chief minister’s words and body language should have the dignity of a chief minister. We are the role models for the people. Don’t forget that,” he said.