He cited MDMK general secretary Vaiko’s repeated references to the episode, saying Vaiko had travelled from Tirunelveli and visited Stalin in prison. Nehru also recalled the torture Stalin underwent in custody, saying former MP C Chittibabu had shielded Stalin during the assault and later died, while Stalin’s jaw was broken.

He said TVK chief and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay was only a year old when Stalin was arrested under MISA and accused him of now claiming that the detention was not politically motivated. “There is adequate evidence available in the government records on the arrest of Stalin, and the minister R Nirmalkumar can refer to them and get clarification,” he said.

Nehru dared the TVK to declare Rahul Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate and “wait for the consequences” from the BJP.

Addressing DMK cadres at a protest in Tiruchy against Vijay’s alleged remarks ridiculing Stalin’s MISA arrest, Nehru said the episode was well documented.

Nehru further warned Vijay that he could reveal details of the Chief Minister’s treatment at Apollo Hospitals but had refrained from doing so in the interest of public dignity. He accused Vijay of diverting questions raised by the Opposition in the Assembly and focusing instead on delivering “cinematic dialogues.”

Former minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said that “demeaning the sacrifices of the leaders during MISA is just an agenda of RSS”, which, he claimed, was being pursued by Nirmalkumar because of his “RSS roots”.

The DMK leader said the history of the Dravidian movement was not something written in an air-conditioned room or created for social media reels, but a history shaped by the sacrifices and bloodshed of its leaders.