‘Afraid of Vijay?’ DMK takes jibe at Rahul, asks him to clarify stand on SIR in Tamil Nadu

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai questioned why Rahul had not “endorsed” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's stand on “dissolution” of state assemblies.

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The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Tuesday took a jibe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, urging him to clarify his stand on the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in Tamil Nadu.

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai, in a post on X, further questioned why Rahul had not “endorsed” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's stand asking for the “dissolution” of all state governments elected after SIR began. He wondered if the Congress MP was too “afraid of Vijay” to speak about SIR in Tamil Nadu.

The remarks came even as the Opposition INDIA bloc MPs, including Rahul, who is leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, marched to the Election Commission office. The Opposition leaders are protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR being conducted by the poll body.

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What did the DMK spokesperson say?

In a post on his official X handle, Annadurai said, “What’s the stand of @RahulGandhi with regard to the deletions through SIR in TN. Why is he not endorsing Kharge jis statement that all State Governments elected after SIR should be dissolved?”

He further added, “Is he afraid of@actorvijay to speak about SIR in Tamil Nadu? What a duplicitous man!”

‘Entire country being run on illegal elections’: What Kharge said

Kharge, who is the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, claimed the “entire country was being run on illegal elections”, PTI news agency reported. “Modi is an illegal Prime Minister, Shah is an illegal minister, and all the chief ministers who have been elected anywhere are illegal. All of them should be dissolved, elections should be held, and elections should be conducted through ballot papers,” he had said on Saturday (October 3).

The Congress president also alleged that the ongoing SIR of the electoral roll had many irregularities and was undermining democracy, according to the PTI report. Responding to Kharge's remarks, the BJP demanded that he apologise for insulting the mandate of the people.

“Are you illegal MP Kharge ji? Is Rahul Gandhi ji an illegal MP? Are Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Keralam, Punjab, J-K, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand illegal?” Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju questioned.

ALSO READ | 'Whom does Congress want to benefit?': INDIA bloc's stir against Gyanesh Kumar triggers political row

High drama amid INDIA bloc's march to ECI

High drama unfolded on Tuesday as INDIA bloc leaders marched from Parliament Street to the Election Commission. Several opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien, were briefly detained after police stopped the march.

Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were stopped by cops on Parliament Street in front of the Akashvani Bhawan and the Niti Aayog office during their march to demand the CEC's resignation. After being stopped, the opposition leaders sat in protest. Soon after, Rahul climbed the police barricades and waved the Tricolour. Rahul and Priyanka, along with other opposition leaders, then entered the Akashvani premises and were seen sitting there.

The Lok Sabha LoP questioned the Election Commission for refusing to meet with the opposition leaders. In a post on X, he said, “More than 300 Opposition MPs marched from Parliament to the Election Commission today to meet the Election Commissioners. We represent crores of Indians. - Why aren't the Election Commissioners meeting us?” Congress leader Pawan Khera said the poll body office was “hardly 100 meters” from the Akashvani Bhawan. “The Election Commission is right next door, but they are not allowing the country's Leader of the Opposition to go; he has been stopped,” ANI cited Khera as saying.

However, EC officials on Tuesday said the poll body had not received any request from any political party for a meeting, PTI reported.

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  Arya Mishra is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, and a key member of the digital news team focusing on urgent breaking developments across India and the world. With a sharp editorial instinct and strong reporting skills, Arya covers high-impact crime incidents, public safety and justice issues, political developments, education policy and international affairs, consistently delivering clear, accurate and timely journalism. Her recent reporting highlights include detailed coverage of serious criminal cases, politics as well as analyses of national education reforms and international diplomatic moves. On the world news front, she has written about global trade policy changes and security developments, including tariff shifts by the United States and strategic counter-terrorism strategies being rolled out by Ministry of Home Affairs. Arya thrives in fast-paced environments – running live blogs, crafting in-depth explainers and real-time news coverage that keeps readers informed as stories evolve. Before joining Hindustan Times, she was a part of The Indian Express online team. Outside the newsroom, she is an avid reader, with a love for thriller and suspense fiction, and enjoys music as a way to unwind. With more than three years of experience in dynamic newsrooms, Arya brings curiosity, clarity and commitment to every story she covers.Read More