Controversial ‘Jaw Gesture’ Reignites War of Words Between DMK and TVK

Chennai: There appears to be no end to the political theatrics in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay clarified his controversial “jaw gesture” during a speech in the State Assembly, saying that the body language was involuntary and was not intended to hurt anyone personally. However, the DMK appears unwilling to let the issue die down.

DMK president M.K. Stalin responded to Vijay’s remarks, describing them as “politically motivated lies” spread by those who have long-standing grudges against former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

Stalin posted a video on social media recounting the events surrounding his detention under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency, when he said he suffered severe physical abuse. Stalin said he was arrested on January 31, 1976, after the Karunanidhi government opposed the Emergency and criticised the MISA.

“I realise that some controversies that occurred during the recently concluded Legislative Assembly session have caused anger and dissatisfaction among the Tamil people and our brethren. Since my prison history is a key part of this controversy, I wish to clarify it. Brother Vijay, what you said is true; it is not a lie. During the Emergency, our leader Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) held a massive meeting at Marina Beach to oppose it and strongly criticised the MISA,” Stalin said in the video.

The DMK has maintained that Stalin was brutally assaulted in Chennai Central Prison during his detention under MISA, resulting in a serious jawbone fracture.

Stalin released a nearly 10-minute video message on Thursday detailing his experiences in prison. He also criticised the TVK government’s welfare delivery and called for greater decorum in the Assembly. Stalin described the harsh conditions he allegedly faced in prison, including physical abuse that he said led to the death of his colleague Chitti Babu and left him injured.

The DMK has claimed that Stalin suffered a jaw fracture during his incarceration during the Emergency and that Vijay, while making a series of allegations against the DMK, mocked him with the gesture. The DMK alleged that the Chief Minister had stooped to a low level of politics.

Vijay’s gesture drew criticism from his political rivals as well as some of his allies. The DMK protested in the Assembly, plunging the House into chaos.

It may be mentioned that the then DMK government headed by M. Karunanidhi was dismissed by the Union Government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on January 31, 1976. Soon after, police went to Stalin’s house to arrest him under the MISA. Stalin has described his broken jaw as an unalterable “brave scar” of history.

“I faced many atrocities in prison. They locked us up in a place where leprosy patients were kept. They stuffed 10 people into a small room. In the same room, we all had to relieve ourselves in a single pot. The place was extremely foul-smelling, and that was where we had to sleep. We were not allowed to sleep at night. The police would beat us with batons and trample us with their boots,” Stalin said in the video message.

He further alleged that life-convict inmates were made to brutally assault him and other DMK members.

“My dear brother and Member of Parliament Chitti Babu died in prison because of their beatings,” he added.

Escalating the controversy, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) mocked the DMK and questioned whether the “false image of a prison martyr” had been shattered. The TVK IT wing demanded proof of Stalin’s detention, describing his video address as an attempt to protect what it called his “declining political image” without providing official documentation.

The TVK claimed that the video was an “engineered attempt” to deflect attention from core governance issues and alleged that Stalin had not furnished evidence to substantiate his claims.

“While the video spans a significant length, it conspicuously fails to provide or display any official detention copy to verify the historical claims of Emergency-era political imprisonment being discussed,” the party said on its official X handle.

The party also criticised the production of the video, alleging that visible editing “jump-cuts” showed that it was a heavily produced script designed to generate public sympathy rather than present facts.

“The video of the false fighter released today has proved that the false image built up with fabricated stories and myths cannot withstand the truth,” the TVK said, questioning why no official MISA detention orders or prison movement records were shown during the address.

“The false image of a prison martyr was shattered,” it added.