T.N. CM Vijay, Ministers condemn Stalin over remarks against TVK’s Dharapuram candidate Sathyabama

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday (October 3, 2026) condemned DMK president M.K. Stalin for his alleged body-shaming remarks about TVK candidate for the Dharapuram bypoll, P. Sathyabama.

During an election campaign at Dharapuram on Friday (October 2), Mr. Stalin criticised Ms. Sathyabama for switching from the AIADMK to the TVK, asking “how did she manage to do a somersault with her body?” The remark drew widespread criticism from TVK leaders, who accused him of body-shaming.

In a post on X, Mr. Vijay charged Mr. Stalin of body-shaming Ms. Sathyabama and “taking pleasure” from it. He said Mr. Stalin had “admitted and takes pride” that he was the one who created the DMK’s “aabasa nadhi [river of obscenity], vanma nadhi [river of hatred], and vakkira nadhi [river of perversion].”

“The DMK is anti-democratic. The people of Tamil Nadu have long been aware that obscenity, violence, and perversity are embedded in the DNA of the DMK. People of Tamil Nadu will certainly give an appropriate response to this ‘evil force’ that is adept at making obscene remarks about women,” he said.

Several Ministers in the TVK-led government have also condemned Mr. Stalin for his remarks. Health Minister K.G. Arunraj said Mr. Stalin insulted women, especially from Scheduled Castes, with his body-shaming remarks. He called Mr. Stalin’s comments against political decorum and demanded a public apology.

Minister for Energy Resources and Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar claimed that DMK leaders had made it their practice to repeatedly make derogatory remarks about women. He said Mr. Stalin’s alleged body-shaming remarks were the height of frustration and were strongly condemnable.

“This is the true face of the DMK, which delivers long speeches on feminism and the revolutionary ideas of its ideological leaders. The people have clearly understood this, and the DMK will no longer receive public support,” Mr. Kumar added.

“Is making derogatory remarks about women what the DMK’s politics is all about?” asked Minister for School Education Rajmohan. “Insulting remarks about women do not affect only individuals; they demean the self-respect and dignity of women as a whole. If you think that insulting women on the political stage will earn applause, that is not a victory in politics but a decline in political culture,” he said.

Minister for Industries S. Keerthana said it was truly disheartening to hear such remarks from someone who had held the highest office in the State. “When the guardian of the party himself makes such statements, what can we expect from the rest of the DMK leadership? Repeatedly making derogatory remarks about women in public forums and attempting to demean their dignity is absolutely condemnable,” she said.

Ministers T.K. Prabhu, Vanni Arasu, M. Vijay Balaji, R. Vinoth, and D. Logesh Tamilselvan condemned Mr. Stalin for alleged body-shaming of Ms. Sathyabama. BJP leader Vanathi Srinivasan also condemned Mr. Stalin, saying the DMK has learnt no lesson from recent defeats.

TVK files complaint

Meanwhile, the TVK also lodged a complaint against Mr. Stalin with the Election Commission. In his complaint to Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik, TVK’s general secretary (election campaign management) and Minister for Public Works Aadhav Arjuna said Mr. Stalin’s remarks amounted to violation of Model Code of Conduct. He demanded that the star campaigner status given to Mr. Stalin be cancelled immediately and urged the Election Commission to direct the District Returning Officer to lodge a First Information Report against him under the provisions of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998.

Later, while speaking to media at Secretariat, Mr. Arjuna said the DMK was unable to digest the victory of the TVK and had been indulging in personal attacks, particularly targeting women.