DMK general secretary Duraimurugan questions Palaniswami’s ‘silence’ over SIR row

DMK general secretary Duraimurugan on Friday (August 8, 2025) questioned the ‘silence’ of Edappadi K. Palaniswami, AIADMK general secretary and the Leader of the Opposition, over the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

In a statement, he pointed out that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has “exposed the issue of creation of fake votes with proof.”

Mr. Duraimurugan said the Election Commission of India (ECI) must immediately drop the SIR initiative.

He pointed out that with the Assembly elections due in Tamil Nadu next year, the ECI’s action will have “a very significant impact on the State” as well.

There is now a threat that in the name of requiring Tamil Nadu voters to prove their eligibility, people could be removed from the voter list, Mr. Duraimurugan alleged.

He further alleged that the BJP-led Union government might attempt to indiscriminately add lakhs of people from other States to the Tamil Nadu voter rolls, which amounts to taking away the State’s political rights.

Mr. Palaniswami is maintaining “a deceitful silence” on the issue, which poses a grave threat both to democracy and the political rights of the people of Tamil Nadu, thereby betraying the people, Mr. Duraimurugan alleged.

“Having become a ‘slave’ of the BJP and mortgaged the AIADMK, will Palaniswami dare to mortgage the voters of the State to Delhi,” he asked.

“If those who have failed politically in Tamil Nadu, as well as their masters, dream that they can win through shortcuts, it will never happen. Honorable Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the people of Tamil Nadu will stand as one team and chase them out,” Mr. Duraimurugan said.

In a separate statement, he said Mr. Stalin will chair the meeting of the DMK district secretaries at Anna Arivalayam on August 13.