- DMK defends Rahul Gandhi's protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
- Centre accused of preventing Gandhi from protesting against CEC.
- DMK-Congress ties strained over Tamil Nadu voter deletions (SIR).
DMK-Congress: A day after the MK Stalin-led DMK questioned Rahul Gandhi over his 'silence' on alleged voter deletions in Tamil Nadu during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the party has now come out in his defence, with spokesperson TKS Elangovan accusing the Centre of trying to prevent the Congress leader from protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
"How can elections be fair if Gyanesh Kumar, holding a high post, is anti-democratic? He should definitely be removed. It is the right of the citizens to fight against the government's wrongdoings, and that is what Rahul Gandhi did yesterday. This government doesn't want Rahul Gandhi to protest against Gyanesh Kumar".
#WATCH | Chennai | DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan says, "How can elections be fair if Gyanesh Kumar, holding a high post, is anti-democratic? He should definitely be removed. It is the right of the citizens to fight against the govt's wrongdoings, and that is what Rahul Gandhi did yesterday. This govt doesn't want Rahul Gandhi to protest against Gyanesh Kumar."
— ANI (@ANI) October 7, 2026
Elangovan's remarks came a day after DMK Official Spokesperson and Joint Secretary Saravanan Annadurai questioned Gandhi's position on the SIR exercise in Tamil Nadu.
Annadurai wrote on X, "What is the stand of Rahul Gandhi with regard to the deletions through SIR in Tamil Nadu?"
He further asked, "Why is he not endorsing Kharge-ji's statement that all state governments elected after SIR should be dissolved? Is he afraid of Tamil Nadu CM Vijay speaking about SIR in Tamil Nadu? What a duplicitous man."
The contrasting statements from the two DMK leaders come amid strained ties between the DMK and the Congress. The DMK has already withdrawn from the INDIA bloc and hinted that it will pursue an independent political course while keeping its options open for future alliances.
The two parties had been allies in Tamil Nadu, but their political equations shifted following the April elections, with actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) winning the TN Elections 2026.
ALSO READ: DMK-Congress Rift Deepens As Party Questions Rahul Gandhi’s Stand On SIR Deletions In Tamil Nadu
The DMK has also skipped Opposition alliance meetings in New Delhi. It was absent from the recent meeting convened to strategise for a nationwide protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid the Election Commission-SIR row.
Meanwhile, Annadurai has continued his attack on Gandhi, demanding that the Congress leader break his "silence" over alleged large-scale voter deletions in Tamil Nadu. He cited a media report claiming that the SIR exercise significantly impacted the outcome of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Taking a direct swipe at Gandhi, Annadurai wrote on X, "Daro Math!" (don't be scared), and pointed out that while the Congress leader had forcefully claimed that elections were "stolen" in Bihar, he remained silent on developments in Tamil Nadu.
"Most notably, among the 135 constituencies where more than 20,000 voters were deleted, TVK won 84. In the 10 constituencies with more than 80,000 deletions, TVK won all 10," Annadurai claimed.
He challenged Gandhi to clarify whether Tamil Nadu and the DMK were affected by the SIR exercise and whether the Election Commission had acted fairly.
The remarks came a day after INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, marched from Parliament to the Election Commission office in Delhi, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR process.