Published Nov 12, 2026 | 3:31 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 12, 2026 | 3:31 PM
Stalin said governance was not cinema, where a Chief Minister could get by merely delivering punch dialogues.
Synopsis: DMK president MK Stalin accused Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay of failing to take action against Deputy Speaker M Ravi Shankar and Kallakurichi MLA C Arul Vignesh, who face allegations of assault and sexual misconduct, respectively. He said Vijay’s reported warning to party MLAs was merely a public relations exercise and asked Vijay to demonstrate through concrete action how strict he was as the head of the government.
DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday, 12 November, accused Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay of failing to take action against Deputy Speaker and Thuraiyur MLA M Ravi Shankar and Kallakurichi MLA C Arul Vignesh, accused of assault and sexual misconduct, respectively, and said Vijay’s reported warning to party MLAs was merely a public relations exercise.
In a statement, Stalin said that if Vijay was serious about taking strict action, he should have initiated legal proceedings against Ravi Shankar, who, he said, had brought disrepute to the office of the Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He also demanded appropriate action against Arul Vignesh.
Instead of taking action against the two MLAs, Vijay had presented them with Deepavali gifts and sent them away after the meeting, Stalin said.
“Is this what the so-called strict action amounts to?” he said.
Stalin said governance was not cinema, where a Chief Minister could get by merely delivering punch dialogues. He asked Vijay to demonstrate through concrete action how strict he was as the head of the government.
“Real action must be taken to prove how strict the Chief Minister is. There is no use in merely speaking without taking action,” he said.
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The statement came a day after Vijay convened a meeting of TVK legislators at a private resort near Mamallapuram on Wednesday, amid mounting criticism of the two MLAs. The Chief Minister presented Deepavali gifts to party MLAs, including silk dhotis and sarees.
Vijay also held separate discussions with Ravi Shankar and Arul Vignesh.
Ravi Shankar is accused of assaulting a man who approached him with complaints about drinking water shortages and garbage accumulation in his locality. A video purportedly showing the assault has gone viral on social media. The complainant, Karthik Kumar, subsequently alleged that he had been threatened and forced to record a video denying the assault.
Arul Vignesh is accused of sending inappropriate WhatsApp messages to District Collector J E Padmaja. The MLA has denied the allegations.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose)
