The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Nadu on Monday, 20 July called on the TVK-led coalition government to apply the law uniformly, pressing authorities to act on multiple complaints it had previously filed against senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders for allegedly making abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The demand came hours after DMK MLA G.V. Markandayan was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at a public meeting.

BJP Welcomes MLA's Arrest, Cites Double Standard

BJP Tamil Nadu State chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy welcomed the arrest of the Vilathikulam legislator, stating that no elected representative should be permitted to use abusive or indecent language against a constitutional functionary in a public forum. 'I welcome the arrest of the Vilathikulam DMK legislator Markandayan, who abused the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at a public meeting. It is unacceptable for an elected representative to use vulgar and derogatory language against the Chief Minister in such a manner,' Thirupathy said.

However, Thirupathy simultaneously accused the DMK of adopting a contradictory position — condemning the arrest of its own MLA while, according to him, several of its leaders had allegedly made similar remarks against national leaders in the past without facing equivalent consequences.

Pending Complaints Against DMK Leaders

Thirupathy alleged that during a previous DMK administration, multiple senior party figures had made offensive statements targeting Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah. He claimed the BJP had filed several formal police complaints over those remarks but that no meaningful action had been initiated by the authorities in response.

The BJP leader also sought disciplinary proceedings against police officials who, according to him, had failed to pursue those complaints despite formal representations being submitted. This marks at least the latest in a series of BJP grievances over what the party describes as selective law enforcement in Tamil Nadu.

DMK's 'Duty, Dignity, Discipline' Pledge Under Scrutiny

Thirupathy argued that the DMK's oft-repeated commitment to the principles of 'duty, dignity and discipline' had not translated into responsible conduct among its ministers, legislators, and party office-bearers. He contended that the party's condemnation of Markandayan's arrest exposed an internal contradiction — one that the BJP says undermines the DMK's credibility on questions of political decorum.

BJP's Call for Impartial Enforcement

The BJP formally urged Chief Minister Joseph Vijay to direct the police to act on all pending complaints submitted by the party and to examine why earlier cases had not progressed. Thirupathy stressed that democratic politics must be conducted with civility and that legal standards should be applied impartially, irrespective of political affiliation.

He added that the arrest of the DMK MLA should serve as a precedent — a reminder that abusive political rhetoric has no place in public life and that identical standards must govern every party and leader without exception. How the TVK-led government responds to the BJP's demands will be closely watched as a test of its stated commitment to equal application of the law.