DMK Slams Congress Over Anti-SIR Youth Protests, Demands Return of Paper Ballots

In an explosive political escalation that deepens the bitter fault lines within the national opposition space, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has launched a blistering offensive against the Indian National Congress, formally branding it a "party of traitors" and political backstabbers. Reopening wounds from the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections—where Congress broke away from the DMK alliance to form a coalition government with actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)—the DMK accused the grand old party of opportunistically attempting to hijack the raging anti-SIR (Special Summary Revision / Electoral Roll issue) youth uprising led by students. Presiding over a crucial DMK Parliamentary Party meeting in Chennai on Saturday, DMK President and former Chief Minister MK Stalin declared that his party would completely boycott any joint platform or public mobilization involving Congress, holding up a mirror to the party's contrasting posturing across state borders.Four Key Resolutions Passed in Chennai: Dismissal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Scrapping EVMsConvening its parliamentary contingent in Chennai, the DMK high command ratified four uncompromising statutory resolutions aimed squarely at the central election machinery:Complete Abolition of SIR: The DMK parliamentarians unanimously demanded the total scrapping and immediate withdrawal of the contested SIR exercise across states.Dismissal and Probe Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar: The party officially passed a resolution seeking the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alongside an independent judicial inquiry into the commission's institutional conduct.Unconditional Backing for Student Movements: Formally aligning itself with agitating youth, the DMK extended complete solidarity to democratic student groups driving grassroots demonstrations.Return of Paper Ballots: Reiterating its total distrust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the party resolved that the Indian electoral system must immediately revert to physical paper ballot voting, with MK Stalin posting on X: "Don't deprive us of the right to vote! We want the ballot system back!""Hijacking the Youth Movement": DMK Calls Out Rahul Gandhi's Belated PosturingThe core of the DMK's sharp attack targeted the narrative projected by the Congress leadership under Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi:Appropriation of Organic Student Protests: DMK leaders pointed out that Congress had deliberately kept its distance during initial agitations, only maneuvering to project Rahul Gandhi as the pioneer of the anti-SIR movement once youth mobilization began commanding national headlines.Calling Out Selective Silence: The DMK highlighted that it was the first regional party to sound the alarm on SIR irregularities in Bihar, questioning why Congress leadership maintained total silence on the issue during election campaigns in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.Accusations of Hypocrisy: Critics have simultaneously pointed out that while DMK vocalizes fiery public opposition to SIR, it has stopped short of filing a targeted petition seeking the full invalidation of the SIR process in the Supreme Court, an omission that mirrors petitions submitted by other allied opposition blocks.The Vijay-TVK Alliance Angle: Questioning Soft Stances on Central LeadershipThe DMK's offensive also took aim at the shifting power dynamic in Tamil Nadu following the assembly elections:Condemning Congress-TVK Coalition: Having severed decades-old alliance ties to enter government alongside Vijay’s TVK, Congress was heavily castigated by the DMK for breaking political solidarity.Scrutiny Over TVK's Reticence: DMK leaders questioned why the current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay and his party TVK have consistently avoided launching direct political attacks against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar or the BJP-led central administration.Absolute Boycott of Joint Action: Emphasizing that political betrayals will not be swept under the rug, MK Stalin reaffirmed that DMK MPs and cadres will maintain strict non-cooperation with Congress across all ongoing and future political campaigns.