DMK MPs on Saturday demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a return to ballot paper voting. The party will petition the President over alleged electoral irregularities and voter exclusion. Stalin said, "The union government must release them immediately and stop suppressing peaceful protests," regarding recent detentions.
DMK MPs adopted four resolutions demanding the Chief Election Commissioner's removal, cancellation of SIR and restoration of ballot voting. The party will petition the President over alleged electoral irregularities and voter exclusion.
The DMK on Saturday demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a return to ballot paper voting, while accusing the Congress and TVK of double standards on the exercise.
DMK MPs adopted four resolutions at a meeting chaired by party president MK Stalin at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai. They will submit a memorandum to the President of India seeking action over alleged electoral irregularities.
The party alleged that the SIR had been rushed through in Bihar, Tamil Nadu and other states, excluding genuine voters. It accused the Election Commission of acting in a partisan manner and sought an inquiry into what it called Kumar's unilateral decisions.
RESTORE PRE-SIR VOTER LISTS
The DMK demanded that future elections be held using the electoral rolls that existed before the revision. Alongside its call to replace EVMs with ballot papers, it sought 100 per cent counting of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.
The party said it had consistently opposed the SIR since July 2025 through all-party meetings, legal challenges and statewide protests.
It also backed youth and student organisations protesting against the exercise, while criticising the Congress and TVK for political opportunism. The DMK alleged that the TVK maintained secret ties with the BJP.
SUPPORT FOR DETAINED PROTEST LEADERS
The support for student protests came a day after Stalin demanded the release of Cockroach Janta Party leader Abhijeet Dipke and AISA chief Neha Bora. Delhi Police had preventively detained them ahead of Friday's 'Lehra Do Tiranga' protests.
Questioning their whereabouts, Stalin accused the Centre of suppressing peaceful dissent and said attempts to crush the movement would only strengthen it.
"Detaining them without disclosing their whereabouts is blatantly illegal and deeply inhumane. The union government must release them immediately and stop suppressing peaceful protests," he wrote on X.
STALIN'S 'BREAKING BAD' JIBE AT TVK
Stalin's criticism of the TVK extended beyond the electoral row. In a separate post on Saturday, he called it a "Breaking Bad Party" following a party functionary's arrest in a narcotics case.
He said Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials had arrested Boopalan, a Nagapattinam district functionary and election in-charge for the Kilvelur Assembly constituency. Citing initial investigations, Stalin alleged that the functionary had concealed 135 kg of methamphetamine.
He questioned Chief Minister Vijay's public statements on eliminating drugs and demanded a probe into the wider network.
"TVK is not just a bad party, but a breaking bad party," Stalin wrote, apparently referring to the television series about a teacher who turns to manufacturing and selling drugs.