VCK suspends dy gen sec Aadhav Arjuna for six months
Chennai (PTI): VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Monday announced the suspension of party deputy general secretary, Aadhav Arjuna for six months, days after the latter's 'monarchy' comment aimed at the ruling DMK.
Aadhav Arjuna, the son-in-law of lottery mogul Santiago Martin, is in the eye of a storm for his comment that the the rule of 'monarchy' in Tamil Nadu should be ended, targeting the DMK, with which he was associated ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls.
The suspended deputy general secretary had also recently put forth the demand of share in power, an ideological standpoint of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a key constituent of the DMK-led bloc in Tamil Nadu.
Thirumavalavan said in a statement that Arjuna's functioning affected the party interests and a top level party administrative committee decided to take disciplinary action against him.
At a function here on December 6, that marked the release of the book 'Ellorukkumana Thalaivar Ambedkar,' (Ambedkar, a leader for all) by TVK founder-president, actor Vijay, Arjuna made the 'monarchy' comment.
In the same event, Vijay continued to target the DMK and accused the ruling party of being arrogant, as it has been maintaining that it would win 200 seats out of the total 234 Assembly segments in the 2026 Assembly polls.
Thirumavalavan later told reporters that Arjuna's recent activities led to a situation that could have an impact on the party's reputation and credibility.
Orally, Arjuna had been given instructions to act in sync with party line and since he violated such guidelines, action has been now taken.
The VCK chief said he had, ahead of the book launch event, conveyed to Arjuna to avoid talking politics in the function and confine himself to revolutionary leader Dr Ambedkar and the background to the book.
The deputy general secretary's speech that day violated the advisory and led to controversies, warranting action.
"The six month suspension provides space to him to approach us and give us an explanation," the VCK chief said.
Answering a question, he said there was no pressure from the DMK side on the VCK on the issue concerning Arjuna.
Thirumavalavan said his decision to stay away from the December 6 book release event, in which actor Vijay took part, was an independent choice.
Though there had been no issues with Vijay's party, the TVK, a participation in that event may have provided opportunities to rivals to 'spin stories.'
Hence, Thirumavalavan said, he did not participate in that event, considering party interests.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
