Stalin describes the TVK government as a “circus” controlled by corporate interests

DMK president MK Stalin addresses a function organized by the Dravidar Kazhagam in Coimbatore on Wednesday to thank him for his role in establishing the Periyar Arivulagam. | Photo credit: SIVA SARAVANAN S

DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday accused corporate power centers of exerting control over the TVK-led government and alleged that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay was being used by them to run the administration.

Addressing a function organized by the Dravidar Kazhagam at the VOC Grounds in Coimbatore to recognize his role in founding the Periyar Arivulagam, Mr. Stalin alleged that the Chief Minister was incapable of taking independent decisions and that the interests of the society were influencing the functioning of the government.

Referring to Mr Vijay’s earlier statement that he alone would be the power center in the government, Mr Stalin said the TVK government had turned into a “circus”, with corporate power centers pulling the strings and using the chief minister to run the government at their behest.

Mr. Stalin also alleged that astrologers were dictating decisions in the TVK government, from setting dates for official events to deciding on the Chief Minister’s attire.

He criticized the government over the reported power outages and claimed that the administration failed to resolve the issue even after several months in office. He alleged that the government was buying power in the open market at almost double the price after canceling the power purchase arrangements made during the previous DMK regime.

According to law and order, Mr. Stalin claimed that Coimbatore has witnessed a lot of murders and claimed that 10 murders took place in the city in a month.

Mr. Stalin also mentioned the arrest of N. Boopalan, a TVK functionary from Nagapattinam district, in connection with the seizure of 135 kg of methamphetamine. He questioned why the state police had not arrested the accused and wanted to know whether the Chief Minister would take responsibility for the alleged involvement of a ruling party functionary in drug trade. He questioned whether the party leadership had taken steps to identify others involved in the alleged network.

Mr. Stalin further said that TVK functionaries, including district and union level officials and elected representatives, faced allegations of blackmail and intimidation. He was referring to audio and video clips circulating on social media where party functionaries were allegedly heard demanding money. In addition, women were “receiving obscene messages” from some party members.

On the chief minister’s approach to administration, Mr. Stalin said that the post was not a 10 am to 5 pm job and running a government was not like acting in a movie. The Chief Minister had the responsibility to answer questions from the public and the media.

Mr. Stalin said the DVAC raids at former minister KN Nehru’s premises were politically motivated and aimed at diverting public attention from the shortcomings of the TVK government. He reiterated his allegation that the search was being conducted to prepare (social media) reels for the Tiruchy East by-election.

Mr. Stalin said attempts to pressure the DMK would only strengthen the party. “The more pressure you put on us, the higher we rise. That is DMK’s DNA,” he said.

Dravidar Kazhagam President K. Veeramani thanked Mr. Stalin for creating the state-of-the-art Periyar Arivulagam, describing it as a significant contribution to promote learning and rationalist thinking at a time when society needed space for reflection. Recalling that Mr. Stalin had set up libraries in Chennai and Madurai during his tenure as Chief Minister, he said the new facility would further strengthen this commitment to knowledge and social reform.

Published – 04 Nov 2026 23:50 IST