TN Congress slams DMK for 'cheap politics' after 2026 poll defeat
Synopsis
Tamil Nadu Congress treasurer Ruby Manoharan has gone on the offensive against the DMK, accusing it of post-defeat political theatrics and hypocrisy over social justice — pointing out that the DMK's own government allegedly omitted Nehru and Ambedkar from policy documents for three straight years before adding their names just before the 2026 election.
Key Takeaways
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee treasurer Ruby R.
Manoharan accused the DMK of politically motivated attacks following its 2026 Assembly election defeat.
Manoharan alleged that DMK government policy documents for 2022-23 , 2023-24 , and 2024-25 did not mention Jawaharlal Nehru or B.R.
He claimed the names were added shortly before the 2026 election through then minister Siva V.
Meyyanathan for political advantage.
Manoharan questioned the DMK's right to criticise Sathyamurthy Bhavan or demand its renaming, asking whether the party would rename its own headquarters Anna Arivalayam .
He alleged DMK leader E.
Paranthaman's remarks were driven by personal disappointment over not winning an Assembly seat.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee treasurer Ruby R. Manoharan on 30 August launched a sharp counter-attack against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), accusing the party of indulging in politically motivated attacks following its defeat in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election. Manoharan specifically questioned the DMK's authority to criticise Sathyamurthy Bhavan — the Congress headquarters — or demand its renaming.
The Allegations Against DMK
In a strongly worded statement, Manoharan called out DMK leader E. Paranthaman, urging him to review official policy documents from the previous DMK government before levelling allegations against the Congress. According to Manoharan, official policy documents presented by then minister R.S. Rajakannappan during the DMK government's tenures in 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 did not carry the names of Jawaharlal Nehru or B.R. Ambedkar.
Manoharan questioned whether Paranthaman, who was a sitting legislator during that period, had raised any objection when those documents were tabled in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The pointed question was aimed at exposing what the Congress leader described as selective outrage.
Charge of Political Opportunism
Manoharan alleged that the names of Nehru and Ambedkar were added to official documents only shortly before the 2026 election, reportedly through then minister Siva V. Meyyanathan, for what he characterised as political advantage and to satisfy alliance compulsions. He accused the DMK of hypocrisy, arguing that its commitment to social justice was conspicuously absent when those names were allegedly omitted from earlier policy statements.
He further alleged that Paranthaman's criticism of the Congress stemmed either from personal disappointment over failing to secure an Assembly seat or from an attempt to improve his prospects for a future party ticket — a characterisation that frames the controversy as an internal DMK positioning exercise rather than a principled stand.
The Sathyamurthy Bhavan Controversy
On the question of Sathyamurthy Bhavan, Manoharan asked what standing the DMK had to criticise the Congress headquarters or propose renaming it. He turned the argument around, asking whether the DMK intended to rename its own headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, given what he described as its failure to acknowledge Nehru and Ambedkar in earlier governance documents.
This comes amid a broader pattern of post-election recriminations in Tamil Nadu, where the Congress and the DMK — previously part of the same alliance — appear to be staking out competing ground following the 2026 Assembly results.
Congress Warns of No Further Tolerance
Manoharan warned that what he called the DMK's 'cheap political drama' and attempts to distort the history of social justice would no longer be accepted. He said the public was already aware of the DMK's 'deceptive political tactics' and that the party was using accusations against other parties to divert attention from its own electoral setback.
With Tamil Nadu's political landscape reconfiguring after the 2026 verdict, the Congress-DMK dynamic will be closely watched as both parties recalibrate their positions ahead of future electoral contests.
Point of View
And the social justice narrative, long a shared currency in Tamil Nadu politics, is becoming a competitive battleground rather than common ground. The DMK's silence on Nehru and Ambedkar for three budget cycles — if the documents confirm Manoharan's claim — is a substantive charge that deserves independent verification, not just political point-scoring.
NationPress
30 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Tamil Nadu Congress criticising the DMK?
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee treasurer Ruby R. Manoharan accused the DMK of launching politically motivated attacks after failing to accept its defeat in the 2026 Assembly election. He specifically challenged the DMK's authority to criticise the Congress headquarters, Sathyamurthy Bhavan, or demand its renaming.
What is the controversy over Nehru and Ambedkar in DMK policy documents?
Manoharan alleged that official policy documents tabled by the DMK government in 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 did not include the names of Jawaharlal Nehru or B.R. Ambedkar. He claimed the names were added only shortly before the 2026 election for political advantage, through then minister Siva V. Meyyanathan.
What is Sathyamurthy Bhavan and why is it at the centre of this row?
Sathyamurthy Bhavan is the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee in Chennai. The DMK reportedly made disparaging remarks about the building or suggested renaming it, which Manoharan rejected, asking whether the DMK would similarly rename its own headquarters, Anna Arivalayam.
Who is E. Paranthaman and what role does he play in this dispute?
E. Paranthaman is a DMK leader whose remarks triggered the Congress counter-attack. Manoharan alleged that Paranthaman was a sitting legislator when the contested policy documents were tabled and raised no objection at the time, and that his current criticism stems from personal disappointment over not securing an Assembly seat in 2026.
What does this row signal about the Congress-DMK relationship in Tamil Nadu?
The public spat suggests growing tension between the Congress and the DMK following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly results. Both parties, previously allied, appear to be staking out independent positions, with the social justice narrative emerging as a new point of contention rather than shared political ground.
