Archive · 9 Oct 2026
DMK Flays TVK for Not Naming BJP Over Gandhi Arrest
Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were detained in Delhi after a protest calling for the election chief to resign.
Vijay’s party, TVK, said the arrests were wrong but did not name the BJP government.
DMK leaders said TVK should have clearly said who they believed was responsible.
DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan said Delhi Police detained Gandhi as he was going to meet the election chief.
DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran also questioned whether Gandhi and Vijay would meet in Chennai.
Maran accused Vijay of trying to stay close to both Congress and BJP.
TVK did not immediately respond to the criticism.
Elangovan also criticized the Tamil Nadu government over power cuts, crop losses, rising prices and law and order.
DMK leaders criticized Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s TVK for condemning Rahul Gandhi’s detention without naming the BJP government.
TVK called the arrests of Gandhi and other MPs highly objectionable and urged authorities to stop heavy-handed approaches.
Gandhi and other India bloc leaders were detained in Delhi on October 6 after a protest seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan said Delhi Police detained Gandhi while he was heading to meet the CEC, and argued that the BJP-led Union government was responsible.
DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran questioned whether Vijay and Gandhi would meet in Chennai and accused Vijay of trying to keep both Congress and BJP on his side.
- Who
- The DMK, including spokesperson T K S Elangovan and MP Dayanidhi Maran, criticized Vijay-led TVK over its response to Rahul Gandhi’s detention.
- What
- The DMK said TVK condemned the detention but did not name the BJP government; Maran also questioned Vijay’s political positioning and a possible meeting with Gandhi.
- When
- The protest and detentions took place on October 6. The DMK criticism was made on Thursday; Gandhi was reported to be visiting Chennai on October 10.
- Where
- The protest and detentions took place in Delhi; the reported Gandhi visit and some of Elangovan’s criticisms concerned Chennai and Tamil Nadu.
- Why
- The DMK argued that TVK should explicitly identify the BJP-led Union government as responsible for Delhi Police’s detention of Gandhi.
DMK’s criticism
TVK’s stated position
Who should be named as responsible?
DMK’s criticism
The DMK said TVK should explicitly name the BJP government, arguing Delhi Police comes under the BJP-led Union government.
TVK’s stated position
TVK condemned the detentions as objectionable but did not identify the authorities responsible in its statement.
How the detention should be characterized
DMK’s criticism
Elangovan said Gandhi was detained while heading to meet the CEC and that political parties have a fundamental right to meet the CEC.
TVK’s stated position
TVK said the manner of the arrests was highly objectionable and called for an end to heavy-handed approaches.
Vijay’s political positioning
DMK’s criticism
Maran accused Vijay of trying to keep both Congress and BJP on his side and described the TVK-Congress partnership as incompatible.
TVK’s stated position
TVK did not immediately respond to Maran’s criticism; no response from Vijay is reported.
- Protest date
- October 6
- Protest demand
- Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
- TVK statement
- Called the arrests highly objectionable and urged an end to heavy-handed approaches
- DMK spokesperson
- T K S Elangovan
- DMK MP
- Dayanidhi Maran
- Reported Gandhi visit
- Chennai on October 10
- Other issues raised
- Power cuts, Kuruvai crop losses, rising prices and law and order
