CHENNAI: In a scathing rebuttal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks in Madurai, DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi on Sunday accused the BJP of political hypocrisy and warned that the saffron party's rise in Tamil Nadu would mirror the alleged breakdown of law and order in states like Odisha and Manipur.

Highlighting the DMK-led alliance's electoral success since its inception in 2018, Bharathi asserted, “We have won 13 elections with the trust of the people. That trust will ensure victories in 2026 and beyond.”

Criticising Shah for his past comments during the Odisha elections — including jibes at Tamil IAS officer V Karthikeyan Pandian — the DMK leader accused the BJP of insulting Tamils while attempting to woo them now. “Amit Shah, who once mocked Tamils as thieves, now arrives in Madurai pretending to be one of us,” he said.

Drawing sharp parallels, the former MP warned that a BJP regime in Tamil Nadu would replicate the turmoil in Manipur.

“Over 200 were killed, thousands displaced, and women assaulted, yet the Centre watched passively. Is this the governance model Shah promises Tamil Nadu?” he asked.

Bharathi also accused the BJP of attempting to dismantle allies like the AIADMK and PMK to create space for itself. “Their aim is not to win votes but to destroy regional parties,” he alleged and added that the people of Tamil Nadu will deliver another resounding rejection of the BJP in 2026, just as they did in 2019, 2021, and 2024.