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Vijay’s Jaw Gesture Sparks Clash With MK Stalin
A disagreement started after Vijay made a hand gesture near his jaw during a speech.
Some DMK leaders thought he was making fun of MK Stalin.
Stalin said the gesture reminded him of injuries he suffered in prison during the Emergency.
He said police beat him and broke his jaw in 1976.
Stalin told Vijay to learn more about Tamil Nadu and the DMK’s history.
Vijay said the gesture happened accidentally and was not meant as an insult.
The issue has created tension between Vijay and some of his political allies.
One Communist Party leader also criticized Vijay’s gesture.
MK Stalin accused Vijay’s Assembly jaw gesture of being inappropriate and reminiscent of the torture that broke his jaw in prison during the Emergency.
Stalin said he was arrested in 1976 after the DMK government was dismissed and described severe prison conditions and beatings.
Vijay said his jaw-holding gesture was accidental, involuntary and not intended to hurt anyone’s feelings.
DMK leaders said the gesture appeared to mock Stalin, while Stalin urged Vijay to study Tamil Nadu and DMK history.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary P. Shanmugam also condemned the gesture and cited Stalin’s Emergency-era injuries.
- Who
- TVK chief Vijay and DMK chief MK Stalin, with criticism also coming from DMK leaders and P. Shanmugam of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
- What
- A dispute over Vijay’s jaw-holding gesture during an Assembly speech and Stalin’s response linking it to his past imprisonment and jaw injury.
- Where
- Tamil Nadu, including the state Assembly and the prison where Stalin said he was held during the Emergency.
- When
- Vijay made the gesture during his September 7 speech; Stalin responded two days later.
- Why
- DMK leaders interpreted the gesture as mocking Stalin, while Vijay said it was accidental and unintentional.
DMK Interpretation
Vijay’s Explanation
Meaning of the jaw gesture
DMK Interpretation
DMK leaders, including MK Stalin, said the gesture was inappropriate and appeared to mock Stalin’s history of being beaten and suffering a broken jaw in prison.
Vijay’s Explanation
Vijay said the gesture was an accidental and involuntary expression with no intention of personally insulting anyone.
Political and historical context
DMK Interpretation
Stalin said Vijay should study the history of Tamil Nadu and the DMK, including the struggles faced by party members during the Emergency.
Vijay’s Explanation
Vijay’s statement focused on clarifying the gesture rather than accepting the interpretation that it referred to Stalin’s past.
Key facts
- Gesture
- Vijay held his jaw with one hand during a speech targeting the DMK.
- Vijay’s explanation
- He described the body language as accidental, involuntary and not intended to hurt anyone.
- Stalin’s arrest
- Stalin said he was arrested in 1976 after the DMK government was dismissed during the Emergency.
- Prison injury
- Stalin said his jaw bones were broken during a prison assault.
- Prison conditions
- He described overcrowding, poor sanitation, sleep deprivation and beatings by police and prisoners.
- Additional criticism
- P. Shanmugam, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary, condemned Vijay’s gesture.
Quotes
M.K. Stalin
DMK president and former Tamil Nadu chief minister describing his imprisonment during the Emergency.
“Police wouldn't let us sleep at night. They would hit us with laathis and boots. They deployed life convicts to beat us. Chitti Babu MP, who was with me, died in jail. In that assault, my jaw bones broke.”
NDTV
“This is the history from the days of Annadurai, who you call your inspiration. That is the history of DMK and I am proud to be part of it.”
NDTV
Sources
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