4 days ago
Stalin urges DMK leaders to exercise restraint after Tiruchi Siva's Kamaraj remark sparks row
With assembly polls due next year,
DMK
chief and
Tamil Nadu
chief minister
M K Stalin
is treading cautiously over remarks made by party leaders. For the second time in recent months, he has urged DMK functionaries to exercise restraint and avoid giving the opposition ammunition to target the government.
The latest controversy erupted when DMK
Rajya Sabha
MP
Tiruchi Siva
, speaking at a party meeting in Perambur on July 16, claimed that former chief minister and
Congress
stalwart
K Kamaraj
"couldn't sleep without AC" and had requested then CM Karunanidhi to install ACs in all government guest houses. Siva said Karunanidhi obliged the request.
The remark drew sharp criticism from DMK's ally Congress, with leaders like Manickam Tagore and Jothimani demanding an apology. The opposition
AIADMK
also condemned the statement, calling it an insult to Kamaraj.
The row forced Stalin to step in and issue a public reminder. "Do not give room to the intentions of evil-minded people who plan to stir trouble and revel in it... It is not right to have controversial debates in public about such a great leader, a great Tamilian. Any opinion shared should be in a manner that upholds the dignity of respected leaders... Let us avoid pointless debates," Stalin posted on X on July 17.
This is not the first time Stalin has had to intervene. In April, state IT minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said in the Assembly that his department lacked funds and jurisdiction over IT park projects. The next day, Stalin publicly advised PTR that his words should not become fodder for the opposition.
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