DMK Protests Over Vijay’s MISA Remarks, Raja, Sekar Babu Face Police Cases

Police have registered cases against senior DMK leaders A Raja and P K Sekar Babu, along with party MLA Vasantham Karthikeyan, over alleged defamatory and derogatory remarks linked to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, officials said on Tuesday.

A case was registered at B1 North Beach Police Station against Sekar Babu, the DMK Harbour MLA and Chennai East district secretary, following a complaint alleging that he made derogatory remarks against Vijay during a party protest.

Another case was registered at Saidapet police station against Raja, the DMK deputy general secretary, based on a complaint by TVK functionary Karthik. Raja has been accused of making derogatory remarks against Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar during a demonstration organised to protest Vijay's remarks in the Assembly.

Raja had dared the ruling TVK government to register a case against him, while maintaining that leaders of both the Congress and BJP had acknowledged DMK president M K Stalin's contribution and his arrest during the Emergency.

In Kallakurichi, police booked Vasantham Karthikeyan, the DMK MLA from Rishivandhiyam, for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Vijay.

The cases followed statewide DMK protests over Vijay's recent Assembly remarks concerning Stalin's detention under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the 1975-77 Emergency. Vijay had also made jaw gestures while referring to the issue, drawing strong objections from DMK members.

The controversy escalated after Minister R Nirmal Kumar defended Vijay's remarks and questioned the DMK's account of Stalin's detention.

Speaking in Madurai, Kumar claimed that there was no official detention order establishing Stalin's arrest under MISA.

“No detention copy, no MISA arrest,” Kumar said, arguing that a formal detention order should exist if Stalin had been detained under the stringent law.

The minister accused the DMK of attempting to portray Stalin as a political martyr based on an unverified historical claim.