Tamil Nadu Minister Nirmal Kumar on Wednesday, 8 July launched a pointed attack on both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Coimbatore, asserting that the two principal opposition parties were steadily haemorrhaging political strength and would soon be left without a meaningful cadre base.

The Karur Visit at the Centre of the Row

The minister's remarks were directed largely at the controversy surrounding Chief Minister Joseph Vijay's proposed visit to Karur, where the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the alleged custodial death of temple security guard Ajith Kumar. Nirmal Kumar alleged that the opposition was deploying legal petitions specifically to block the Chief Minister's district visit, rather than to advance the cause of justice.

'If the Chief Minister's visit is of no significance, why are they making repeated attempts to prevent him from going to Karur?' the minister asked reporters. 'They have been filing petitions continuously. If they are so confident, why are they worried about his visit?'

Opposition Accused of Exploiting CBI Probe

Nirmal Kumar noted that a petition had been submitted to Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar seeking a CBI inquiry into the custodial death — an approach he characterised as politically motivated. He pointed out that the CBI investigation was already underway and that the agency had not yet filed its charge sheet in the case.

He further alleged that the same parties which had earlier questioned the necessity of a CBI investigation were now approaching courts with fresh petitions on the same issue — a contradiction, he argued, that exposed their intent. 'For the past one week, they have been trying to silence both our party and our Chief Minister by using this case. Every one of those attempts has failed,' Nirmal Kumar said.

Sharp Prediction on Opposition's Future

Going beyond the immediate controversy, the minister made sweeping claims about the long-term trajectory of both the DMK and the AIADMK. 'All the efforts made by the DMK and the AIADMK have ended in failure. Both parties are steadily weakening. The day is not far when there will be hardly anyone left in either of these parties,' he said.

The remarks represent one of the more direct public attacks by a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government minister on Tamil Nadu's two dominant political forces, which between them have governed the state for over five decades.

Escalating Political Tensions in Tamil Nadu

The exchange is the latest episode in a rapidly intensifying political climate in Tamil Nadu, with the ruling TVK government and the opposition trading accusations over the handling of the Karur custodial death case. The CBI's involvement has added a federal dimension to what began as a state-level law-enforcement controversy.

With the CBI yet to file its charge sheet, the case is expected to remain a flashpoint in Tamil Nadu politics in the weeks ahead.