Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched a sharp attack on the Opposition DMK in the Assembly on Monday, questioning why the party should continue in politics if it cannot accept the verdict delivered by the people.
Vijay’s remarks came during his reply to the debate on the demands for grants for the Police and Fire and Rescue Services departments.
Taking aim at the DMK, the Chief Minister questioned the mindset of leaders who, according to him, appeared unwilling to accept the outcome of the 2026 Assembly election.
“If a political party cannot accept the people’s verdict, why should it continue in politics?” Vijay asked, according to the report.
The Chief Minister's criticism was linked to remarks attributed to a senior DMK leader suggesting that people who had not voted for the party would face a “bad death”.
Vijay questioned how such a statement could be made about voters who had supported the DMK for decades.
He pointed out that the same people being criticised by the party had repeatedly voted for it and helped it remain a major political force in Tamil Nadu.
The comments come months after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, in which Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the ruling party while the DMK moved into the Opposition. Current political reporting puts TVK at 108 seats and the DMK at 59.
Vijay's central argument was that electoral politics requires parties to respect the mandate of voters, regardless of whether the result goes in their favour.
His attack comes at a particularly significant moment for the DMK, which is still dealing with the fallout of its 2026 election defeat.
The defeat marked a dramatic shift in Tamil Nadu politics, with Vijay's relatively new party taking power and ending the dominance of the state's traditional Dravidian political players.
DMK president M.K. Stalin has, however, maintained that the party and its alliance secured a substantial vote share and would continue to function as a strong Opposition.
The Chief Minister's attack on the DMK extended beyond the election verdict.
Vijay also condemned the use of obscene and misogynistic language against women, saying such remarks have no place in political discourse.
He invoked the treatment of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, referring to the humiliation she faced in the Assembly and arguing that political differences should not become an excuse for personal attacks against women.
His remarks came amid a fresh political controversy involving comments directed at women and actors, including a row surrounding remarks linked to DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Vijay said that women deserve dignity and warned that legal action would follow when remarks cross the line into abuse.
Vijay's attack reflects the dramatically altered political landscape in Tamil Nadu.
The actor-turned-politician's TVK, formed only recently, swept to power in the 2026 Assembly election, while the DMK — one of the state's two dominant Dravidian parties — was pushed into Opposition.
The new government has since been engaged in an increasingly combative relationship with the DMK.
Earlier in the Assembly session, Vijay had challenged DMK legislators to remain in the House and listen to his detailed response to their allegations instead of staging a walkout.
The confrontation has now moved beyond policy disagreements into a larger battle over political legitimacy, public mandate and the future of Tamil Nadu's Dravidian politics.
For Vijay, the message is straightforward: the voters have spoken — and political parties must accept what they have said.