Tamil Nadu’s ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has targeted Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin following the arrest of former state Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in an alleged corruption case involving private schools.

In a series of social media posts, the TVK IT wing accused Stalin of hypocrisy over corruption allegations against DMK leaders. One post used the phrase “Bengal monitor lizard” while questioning the DMK chief’s response to the case.

The political exchange followed Mahesh’s arrest by the Chennai Police’s Central Crime Branch on Monday, October 26, after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition.

TVK invokes Bengal monitor lizard remark

The TVK IT wing directly questioned Stalin over the corruption allegations involving members of his party.

“Stalin sir, who can’t be caught… Were you sleeping while in power? When your ministers have racked up so many corruption cases, why, sir, are you just flapping your mouth like a Bengal monitor lizard?” one of the posts said.

The party also published a longer message accusing the DMK of corruption across government departments and criticising its political messaging.

The posts were attacks by the ruling party’s IT wing, rather than judicial findings about the allegations against the DMK.

TVK recalls Anbil Mahesh’s remarks after Karur stampede

In its social media campaign, the TVK IT wing also referred to remarks made by Anbil Mahesh after the Karur stampede in 2025, in which 41 people were killed during a rally addressed by actor-turned-politician Vijay, the TVK chief.

At the time, Mahesh was Tamil Nadu’s Education Minister. A video showing him breaking down while speaking about repeated appeals for people to follow safety conditions at the gathering had circulated widely.

The TVK IT wing referenced those remarks in a post carrying the phrase “Conditions are followed”, accompanied by a winking emoji.

The post used the earlier remarks to criticise the DMK leadership in the aftermath of Mahesh’s arrest.

Why Anbil Mahesh was arrested

Mahesh was arrested in connection with an alleged Rs 100 crore corruption case involving money purportedly collected from private educational institutions in exchange for permanent recognition, licences and other government approvals.

The investigation followed allegations that representatives of a private schools’ association collected money while promising to facilitate official clearances for educational institutions.

According to the report, investigators identified 177 schools believed to have been affected by the alleged scheme.

Mahesh has denied the allegations and challenged the case against him. The allegations remain subject to legal proceedings.

The arrest came after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition on Monday. Mahesh has also approached the court seeking to quash the First Information Report registered against him.

MK Stalin calls arrest politically motivated

Reacting to Mahesh’s arrest, Stalin accused the TVK government of targeting a political opponent and attempting to divert public attention from the state’s governance issues.

He said the former minister had cooperated with the investigation and would face the allegations through legal channels.

The DMK has maintained that the action against Mahesh is politically motivated, while the case against the former minister concerns allegations of corruption and breach of trust.

The developments have led to a fresh exchange between the ruling TVK and the opposition DMK, with both sides making allegations against the other.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has disagreed with National Conference president Farooq Abdullah’s remarks about Pakistan’s role in the Kashmir issue, calling his statement incorrect. Azad also said successive governments at the Centre had contributed to Jammu and Kashmir’s development since Independence.

Azad was responding to Abdullah’s comments at a party event in Budgam district on Saturday. The National Conference chief had claimed that Pakistan’s continued efforts to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums had helped keep the region safe.

“I respect Farooq sahab, but his statement is completely incorrect. If anyone is an enemy of India and the people of J&K, it is Pakistan,” Azad wrote on X.

Azad also referred to the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), pointing to protests by residents demanding their rights. He said successive central governments, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi, had contributed to Jammu and Kashmir’s development irrespective of their political affiliations.

Imran Ansari also criticises Farooq Abdullah

Shia leader and former minister Imran Ansari also criticised Abdullah’s remarks and urged people in Kashmir not to follow his example.

In a post on X, Ansari said Abdullah and a select group of leaders were free to make such statements. He alleged that ordinary Kashmiris expressing similar views would face detention under laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) or the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Ansari also described the National Conference leadership’s position as a “rented rebellion”, according to the report.

BJP demands action against National Conference chief

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had also criticised Abdullah’s remarks and demanded police action against him.

BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur described the statement as “seditious and anti-national”. He argued that a leader who had taken an oath under the Indian Constitution should not question the country’s intentions towards its own people while, in his view, lending political legitimacy to Pakistan’s position.

Thakur also accused Pakistan of contributing to decades of violence and targeted killings in Jammu and Kashmir through its alleged sponsorship of terrorism.

The criticism followed Abdullah’s remarks at the party event, where he credited Pakistan’s efforts to raise the Kashmir issue internationally with helping protect the region. Azad, however, rejected that assessment and maintained that Pakistan was an enemy of India and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced nationwide protests against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father at an event in Patna. The demonstrations are scheduled for Monday, October 26, with the party directing its state units to organise protests at their respective headquarters.

The BJP described Kharge’s comments as “insulting, indecent and offensive” and said they amounted to an attack on the dignity of the Prime Minister’s family. The party has also demanded an unconditional apology from the Congress chief.

According to the BJP’s statement, the demonstrations are intended to register the party’s objection to the remarks. The party has instructed its state units to organise peaceful but firm protests.

What Mallikarjun Kharge said

The controversy erupted on Sunday during an event in Patna marking the birth anniversary of Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Shri Krishna Singh.

While Kharge was addressing the gathering, a person in the audience made a remark that was heard as suggesting that Prime Minister Modi would not leave power. Kharge responded with the Hindi phrase, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega”, which was widely interpreted as a reference to the Prime Minister’s late father.

The exchange triggered a political controversy, with BJP leaders criticising the Congress president’s choice of words and accusing him of crossing the boundaries of political decorum.

However, the man at the centre of the exchange later said his full statement had not been heard. Santosh Kumar claimed he had said that Modi would not leave power unless there was a public revolt, suggesting that his original remark had been misunderstood.

BJP demands an apology

Senior BJP leaders have criticised Kharge’s remarks and called on him to apologise. The party has argued that political disagreements should focus on governance and policies rather than personal references to family members.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also criticised the Congress president, accusing him of disregarding standards of decorum in public life. Other BJP leaders joined the criticism, describing the comment as inappropriate political rhetoric.

The BJP’s planned demonstrations will take place at state party headquarters across the country, according to its announcement.

Congress response to the controversy

The Congress has defended Kharge’s remarks, arguing that the expression was used as an idiom in a political exchange rather than as a literal attack on the Prime Minister’s family.

Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said Kharge had used an expression in a political context and argued that Prime Minister Modi had also made controversial remarks in the past.

The dispute has added to the ongoing political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress. The BJP’s nationwide protest announcement follows the exchange in Patna, while the Congress has defended its president’s remarks.

Editorial note: This article reflects the protest announcement made on October 25. Since October 26 is the scheduled protest date, avoid changing “plans to hold” or “has announced protests” to “held protests” unless the demonstrations have been independently confirmed.