EPS, BJP leaders hit out CM Stalin over Trichy Siva’s remark, says none can tarnish Kamaraj legacy

CHENNAI:Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned DMK deputy general secretary 'Trichy' Siva for allegedly speaking ill of former Chief Minister K Kamaraj, calling it an attempt to tarnish the late Congress leader’s reputation.

"Is there no limit to the DMK's manipulation of historical events?" he asked, tagging CM Stalin's official X handle.

Taking to social media, Palaniswami said that the final days of the tall Congress leader had been vividly documented. However, the DMK's deputy general secretary blatantly lied by claiming that Kamaraj held Karunanidhi's hands and praised him.

He also ridiculed DMK chief and Chief Minister MK Stalin's video message to Kamaraj as "laughable" after a party functionary had denigrated the great leader. "If engaging in controversial discussions about Kamaraj is deemed inappropriate, then who initiated this controversy? Wasn't it your party's MP and deputy general secretary, Trichy Siva?" he asked, pointing to a slew of derogatory posts against Kamaraj on social media, allegedly by DMK functionaries.

Recalling an old cartoon published in the DMK's mouthpiece 'Murasoli' that targeted Kamaraj, Palaniswami said it revealed the long-standing grudge harboured by late DMK leader M Karunanidhi. By reigniting this controversy and indulging in cheap politics, the DMK aimed to diminish Kamaraj's legacy, he said.

"Neither you nor your stooges can ever tarnish the image of Kamaraj, who worked for the welfare of the common man," he added.

Joining the issue, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, along with his predecessor K Annamalai and Tamilisai Soundararajan, criticised the ruling party for attempting to rewrite and distort the legacy of the late freedom fighter and Congress leader.

"One cannot whitewash history, no matter how many posts are made on social media to erase it," Nagenthran said in a social media post, accusing the DMK of vilifying Kamaraj through caricatures, speeches, and offensive depictions in its party mouthpiece.

Sharing an old cartoon from DMK's mouthpiece that allegedly mocked the Congress leader, he questioned the DMK chief: "Can you justify this today?"

Echoing these sentiments, Annamalai criticised the Congress for continuing its alliance with the DMK.

"The DMK once politically destroyed Kamaraj. If the Congress had any self-respect, it would walk away rather than conduct token protests," he told reporters in Chennai. Tamilisai added that her "heart pains" over the criticism of Kamaraj by "paid online coolies" and urged the Chief Minister to restrain such elements and stop his party cadre from maligning the towering personality.

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