The Tamil Nadu Assembly transformed into a political battleground on Monday as Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay delivered a blistering, off-script attack against the DMK that triggered pandemonium and protest. What began as a formal address quickly escalated into raw political theater, with accusations flying and tempers flaring across the chamber.

Key facts

  • Chief Minister Vijay accused DMK of corruption, citing Sarkaria Commission and Veeranam scandal
  • DMK MLAs staged sit-in protest around Speaker's podium
  • Session occurred September 7, 2026 in Chennai
  • Speaker ultimately denied DMK's request to respond to allegations

A speech that ignited the chamber

Vijay had warned last week that he would make his reply, telling DMK members not to "run away." True to his word, he departed from his prepared text, raised his voice, and targeted the opposition party case by case. He invoked the 1970s Sarkaria Commission report, the Veeranam scandal, and what he called the "Karur" gang's collection of party funds—historical references that clearly struck nerves.

The Chief Minister even reached into Tamil cultural history, citing songs of former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran and the words of late poet Kannadasan to bolster his attack. "You always say that you have faced MISA," he challenged DMK members. "But we know the history behind the MISA."

Protest and pandemonium

DMK MLAs, who had remained silent until 9:56 a.m. when Vijay began speaking, soon erupted into slogans and pamphlet displays. They surrounded Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar and staged a sit-in protest on the assembly floor—a dramatic visual that halted proceedings.

At one point, DMK deputy leader K.N. Nehru appealed directly to the Chief Minister, asking him to tell the Speaker to allow their leader, Udhayanidhi Stalin, to respond. Vijay gestured that only the Speaker could make that decision.

"You complained that he had not spoken. When he spoke, you did not allow him even for a minute. You tried your best and are tired of it," the Speaker said.

An unexpected moment of grace

Amid the tension, a moment of humanity emerged. As some protesting DMK MLAs found themselves struggling to rise from the floor where they had sat in protest, Chief Minister Vijay extended a hand and helped DMK MLA Durai Chandrasekar to his feet.

Despite this gesture, and despite Vijay himself asking the Speaker to allow the DMK to speak, the opposition ultimately was denied the right to respond. The Speaker ruled that because they had not allowed the Chief Minister to speak uninterrupted, they would not be granted time to reply.