DMK president M.K. Stalin on Saturday (October 10, 2026) called Delhi police action against anti-CEC protesters an undeclared emergency. He said, "Dissent is not a crime, and democracy cannot survive by silencing those who rise to defend it." Stalin demanded the CEC resign and the Union government release all detained leaders.

Those defending democracy are detained, while those betraying it are protected, says the DMK leader

DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday (October 10, 2026) said that the Union BJP government had detained former Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, and Manik Sarkar, along with CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby and leaders of various student organisations, who were fighting to protect the people's right to vote, while Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, who should be facing trial for "his act of treason", was roaming freely with Z+ security.

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"What a disgrace," he said in a social media post. "The conspiracy behind SIR [Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls] has been completely exposed. There is no hiding it anymore. Barricading Delhi, shutting down the internet and detaining political leaders cannot crush the uprising of India's youth. How long can the Union government keep an entire nation under siege?" he said.

DMK chief slams TVK govt.

He further alleged that the TVK government in Tamil Nadu was meanwhile desperately trying to "please its Delhi masters" by detaining activists protesting against SIR and demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. "All those detained must be released immediately. Gyanesh Kumar must be sacked, SIR must be halted, and everyone responsible for betraying the people of India must be held accountable," Mr. Stalin said.

In another tweet early on Saturday morning, he said the scenes unfolding in Delhi and the scale of repression being unleashed against peaceful protesters brought back painful memories of the Emergency that he lived through.

He strongly condemned the TVK government in Tamil Nadu for acting as an extension of the BJP and unleashing police repression against protesting students. The Union government must immediately end its assault on the youth who are peacefully exercising their democratic right to protest. "Dissent is not a crime, and democracy cannot survive by silencing those who rise to defend it," he said.

The resignation of the CEC was non-negotiable. Beyond his resignation, all the damage done to the institutional framework of the Election Commission of India must be undone, and its independence and integrity must be restored, Mr. Stalin demanded.