DMK chief M K Stalin on Thursday responded strongly to Chief Minister Joseph Vijay after a gesture by Vijay, in which he held his jaw, was perceived as mocking Stalin’s account of suffering a fractured jaw during his imprisonment during the Emergency.
Stalin later released a nearly 10-minute video on X, recalling his traumatic experiences in jail in 1976. He said he was arrested on January 31, 1976, under the MISA Act after the Karunanidhi-led DMK government was dismissed, and was lodged in Madras Central Prison, where he remained for several months until the Emergency ended in March 1977.
Recounting the conditions inside the prison, Stalin alleged that he was subjected to inhuman treatment and severe atrocities. He said around 10 people were confined to a single room, forced to use the same bowl to urinate, and made to sleep in the same space. According to Stalin, police would beat and kick them at night, and it was during this period that he suffered a fractured jaw. He also recalled losing his “brother” Chitti Babu, who he said died due to the alleged atrocities.
“You also showed it like this, keeping your hand near the jaw, right? That is correct. Even today, I have the scars of the beatings I received. I am not saying no,” Stalin said.
Vijay had made the jaw-related gesture while targeting the DMK over alleged corruption, citing official ED documents and the Sarkaria Commission report from the 1970s. As the gesture triggered outrage, Vijay clarified that it was completely unintentional.
“My body language was an accidental expression. I would like to make it known that it was not in any way intentional,” Vijay said.