CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin on Thursday urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to take strict action against errant party functionaries and MLAs.

In a statement, Stalin said reports that the Chief Minister had warned his party MLAs seemed like damage control. "If the Chief Minister's warning was genuine, he should have taken action against them. The government should register a case against the Deputy Speaker, who has brought disrepute to the office he holds," Stalin said.

He also demanded action against the Kallakurichi MLA.

In a sarcastic reference to the Chief Minister's image as a strict administrator, Stalin said Vijay had apparently sent the MLAs away with Deepavali gifts instead of taking action against them. "This is not a cinema where one can deliver punch dialogues and pass the time. The Chief Minister should prove that he is a strict administrator through action," he said.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin also questioned the Chief Minister over the alleged protection extended to Kallakurichi MLA C Arul Vignesh, who was accused of sending inappropriate messages to the District Collector.

He also questioned why no action had been taken against the Deputy Speaker, who was accused of assaulting a person who had approached him to submit a petition.