CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin on Thursday broke his silence over Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's "jaw gesture" in the Assembly regarding MISA remarks, recalling the severe physical abuse he endured in prison during Emergency.
Flaying Vijay for raising decades-old corruption allegations citing the Sarkaria Commission report, Stalin dismissed them as "politically motivated lies" spread by those who held long-standing grudges against former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
Clarifying his history during the MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) period, the former Chief Minister in a video posted on "X", acknowledged that Vijay was correct regarding the MISA history, recounting the suppression during the Emergency, including his own arrest on January 31, 1976, after Karunanidhi protested against the MISA law.
Stalin detailed the harsh conditions he faced in prison, including abuse, which led to the death of his colleague Chitti Babu and injuries to himself.
"I realise that some controversies that occurred in the recently concluded Legislative Assembly session have caused anger and dissatisfaction among the Tamil people and our brethren. Since my prison history is a key part of this controversy, I wish to clarify it. Brother Vijay, what you said is true; it is not a lie. During the Emergency, our leader Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) held a massive meeting at Marina Beach to oppose it and harshly criticised the MISA," Stalin said in the video.
Following this, the then-Union Government dismissed the DMK government on January 31, 1976. The very next second, the police came to his Gopalapuram residence to arrest him under the MISA act.
"I was not home that day, as I had gone for a campaign. Our leader told them, 'my son has gone for a campaign. He will return tomorrow. Once he comes, I will call you myself; come and arrest him.' The next day, when I returned, he himself asked the police to come and arrest me," Stalin said.