Congress Councillors Walk Out of Chennai Council Meeting After Clash With DMK

Congress councillors staged a walkout from a council meeting at the Chennai council hall following a heated confrontation with DMK members. The clash erupted after a Congress councillor congratulated C Joseph Vijay on assuming office as Chief Minister, sparking immediate tension between the allied parties.

The confrontation began when Congress councillor Samuel Thiraviyam addressed the council hall to congratulate Vijay on behalf of his party and the council. During his speech, Thiraviyam remarked that the state had entered a new political phase in its history by forming a coalition government, and extended his wishes to the new Chief Minister.

DMK councillors strongly objected to Thiraviyam's statements. They laughed at the Congress councillor and demanded to know who he had voted for in the Assembly election. The verbal exchange quickly escalated into chaos inside the hall, with DMK councillors going on to call the Congress members "traitors."

Despite attempts by the Chennai Mayor to calm the room and restore order, the DMK councillors failed to back down. In response to the escalating hostility, the Congress councillors walked out of the council meeting.

Speaking to reporters after the walkout, Thiraviyam alleged that DMK councillors had actively prevented him from speaking and had even tried to physically attack the Congress councillors after he referred to the political changes in the state. He also claimed that his microphone was switched off when he attempted to congratulate the Chief Minister, which ultimately prompted the walkout.

"Congress is not a hand that destroys, but a hand that embraces," Thiraviyam told the press.

The incident also highlighted friction among other political groups in the council. DMK councillors did not raise any objections against representatives of the CPI, CPM, and VCK, who are currently aligned with TVK. None of those allied councillors intervened or objected to the treatment meted out to the Congress members by the DMK.

Additionally, councillor VV Giridharan, who recently joined TVK from AMMK, stated that TVK councillors were denied permission to speak in the council to convey birthday wishes to Chief Minister Vijay and congratulate him on assuming office.