CHENNAI: DMK on Monday accused Congress of double standards on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, questioning how it could demand the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi while sharing power with the TVK govt in Tamil Nadu.In a statement, the DMK cited Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s call for the dissolution of govts formed through what he described as a fraudulent electoral process and asked whether the Congress’s position also extended to TVK govt, which came to power in Tamil Nadu through the same electoral process.DMK hit out at the Congress for remaining silent over the detention of civil rights activists protesting against SIR in Chennai. The police action took place on the same day Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Chennai and met chief minister C Joseph Vijay at his Neelankarai residence.“While the Congress raises the banner of saving the Constitution nationally, it continues to enjoy cabinet berths in Tamil Nadu,” the statement said, accusing the party of failing to uphold the same principles when protesters were detained by the state police.Taking on Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore for questioning the absence of DMK MPs in the protest against Gyanesh Kumar at Delhi, DMK said he had no moral right to raise the question.“DMK MPs protested demanding the immediate release of students arrested by the Tamil Nadu police who protested against Gyanesh Kumar. At the same time, Rahul Gandhi was having tea with CM Vijay,” the statement said.DMK criticised the Congress for asking it to join the protest against the CEC while the party’s state unit had remained silent over the police action against protesters in Chennai.“We have exited the INDIA bloc after black sheep in the Congress betrayed us and acted against alliance dharma for the sake of a cabinet berth. There is no need for us to join their protests hereafter, and they have no right to compel us to do so,” DMK said in its statement, adding that the party would follow a different path from now on.Questioning whether the Congress’s opposition to SIR was driven by principle or political convenience, DMK said the party could not invoke constitutional values at the national level while remaining part of the TVK govt in Tamil Nadu.“Why hasn’t CM Vijay spoken about SIR and Gyanesh Kumar so far? Is he a part of the Congress alliance or not? Why hasn’t Manickam Tagore questioned him?,” DMK posted on X.
