Chennai:
The DMK will stage protests across Tamil Nadu on September 12 condemning Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s remarks in the Assembly against party president M.K. Stalin, the party headquarters announced on Wednesday.
The protests will be held at 10.30 a.m. at all district headquarters across the State. The DMK said the demonstrations would condemn what it described as Vijay’s objectionable remarks against Stalin, who was arrested under MISA during the Emergency.
The announcement follows a major confrontation between the ruling TVK and the DMK during the ongoing Assembly session. DMK MLAs had protested against Vijay’s remarks and demanded that portions of his speech be removed from the Assembly records. The protest later escalated, with DMK legislators being removed from the House.
The DMK leadership alleged that Vijay was attempting to divert public attention from the failures of his government by making personal and derogatory remarks against its leaders. It said Stalin’s political sacrifices, including his arrest during the Emergency, should not be insulted.
The party also accused the Vijay government of failing on several fronts and said the DMK’s statewide protest would be an expression of its opposition to the Chief Minister’s remarks.
Meanwhile, Vijay has clarified that the controversial hand gesture made during his Assembly speech was unintentional and was not intended to hurt or insult anyone. He said he respected the dignity of the Assembly and the sentiments of its members.