In a recent speech in the Lok Sabha, DMK MP A. Raja made headlines by declaring his party’s commitment to “national integration” and proudly asserting the DMK’s “nationalist” credentials. However, such claims stand in stark contrast to the party’s historical record, which includes a strong push for a separate Tamil nation Dravida Nadu until it was constitutionally curtailed.
The demand for Dravida Nadu was only abandoned after the Indian government, under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, enacted the 16th Amendment to the Constitution in 1963, widely known as the Anti-Secessionist Amendment. This amendment made secessionist movements illegal and prohibited political parties promoting separatism from participating in elections. Faced with the threat of being banned, the DMK officially dropped its demand for a separate Tamil nation in the same year, not out of ideological transformation but political necessity.
Even within the DMK, there had been internal disagreements on the practicality of Dravida Nadu. As early as 1956, at the Tiruchi conference, leaders such as E.V.K. Sampath questioned its feasibility. By 1960, a party meeting held in the absence of C.N. Annadurai saw leaders like V.P. Raman advocate for removing the separatist plank altogether. The party then shifted focus to regional concerns like opposing the imposition of Hindi and advocating for greater state autonomy moves that eventually contributed to its landmark electoral victory in 1967.
Yet, despite officially discarding the separatist agenda over six decades ago, the DMK continues to flirt with secessionist rhetoric from time to time. While the 16th Amendment legally buried the dream of Dravida Nadu, the party’s occasional revival of this outdated narrative suggests a lingering desire to stoke regional sentiments for political gains.
This contradiction between the DMK’s historical actions and its present-day nationalist claims raises serious questions about the sincerity of its commitment to national unity especially when viewed alongside instances of anti-India and anti-Hindu statements by various party leaders.
Separatist And Anti-India Remarks
Let us take a look at all the DMK members’ anti-India remarks that are separatist.
DMK MP A Raja
During a gathering in Coimbatore on 3 February 2024, DMK MP A Raja incited separatist sentiments as “India is not a nation. Understand this well. India is never a nation. One nation means one language, one tradition and one culture. Then only it is one nation. India is not a nation but a subcontinent. What’s the reason? Here, Tamil is one nation and one country. Malayalam is one language, one nation and one country. Oriya is a nation, a language and a country. All these nations make up India. So, India is not country it is a subcontinent.”
During DMK Youth Wing Conference on January 2024, A Raja spoke India is an artificially constructed nation against the Britishers, “Periyar did not accept this (Indian) nationalism. He said that Indian nationalism was a fiction. He called the Indian flag as a loincloth. He burnt the national flag. He burnt the portraits of Gandhi. The reason for that was Tamil nationalism and Tamilians should survive.”
DMK Minister for Minorities SM Nasar
Similarly, DMK Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, SM Nasar, stirred controversy during the launch of a website and the release of a conference report at the 12th World Tamil Economic Conference. The event, held on 16 June 2025, at Hotel Le Royal Meridien, was jointly organized by the World Tamil Economic Institute and the Chennai Development Corporation. In his special address, Nasar claimed, “Amartya Sen said if Tamil Nadu were a separate country, it would become a superpower and rank 18th among global powers.”
He said, “To tell the truth, an economist named Amartya Sen, recognized on the world stage. He is a Bengali, not even a Tamil. This Bengali man born in Shantiniketan. He studied at Oxford University and at Yale University. He has been a professor at two universities. Among students worldwide, he is known as a brilliant student—ranked among the top three. Such a person has also received the Bharat Ratna Award. Even after receiving many awards, he says in a research, “I have prepared research reports for development of many countries. If geographic details of the country is given based on a country’s economic growth, the goods it produces and grows. I would submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for 5, 10 and 15 years. I have submitted such reports for many countries, and I have seen with my own eyes the growth they have achieved. In that context, I have seen every state in India. I have studied the economic development of many states—from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.” And when he sees that, he says… He is not a Tamil. If someone like Sambath here said this, we might assume he’s saying it to flatter us because he’s Tamil. But that’s not the case here. The economist Amartya Sen who said, “If Tamil Nadu had been a separate country, it would have ranked as the 18th superpower in the world economically.”
TN CM M.K. Stalin
During the Hindi imposition controversy, the ruling DMK appeared to revert to a familiar and divisive narrative. As its political strategies faltered, the party leaned once again into rhetoric that bordered on secessionism. At the center of this was Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who controversially claimed, “India is not one country, but a subcontinent.”
In a recent social media post, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin criticized the BJP-led central government for what he described as the imposition of Hindi, stating, “BJP leaders advocating Hindi insist, “You must know Hindi to buy tea, pani puri, or use toilets in North India.” In the Age of AI, forcing any language as a third language in schools is unnecessary. Advanced translation technology already removes language barriers instantly. Students should not be burdened with extra languages. They should focus on mastering their mother tongue and English while gaining expertise in science and technology. If needed, they can learn any language later. True progress lies in innovation, not linguistic imposition. #தமிழ்_வாழ்க! #LetterToBrethren #StopHindiImposition.”
One of the images shared in the post included that the letter by leader to DMK cadres, in which the it stated, “India is not one country, but a subcontinent.”
MK Stalin said “DMK was the first to proclaim in Parliament and make people realize that India is not one country but a subcontinent.”
This is the same rhetoric peddled by Congress’ crown prince Rahul Gandhi who has time and again said “India is not one nation” but a “union of states”.
Udhayanidhi Stalin
In 2020, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu, shared a video that featured a map of India omitting Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Chinese-occupied Ladakh. This official DMK video was posted on Facebook on 11 November that year and garnered over 3,000 shares. BJP spokesperson Suryah SG highlighted the significant error on Twitter, questioning the DMK’s stance toward India.
(Image Credit: Organiser)
Suryah tweeted at DMK’s official handle, asking, “#DMK’s official video released yesterday doesn’t show PoK & CoK as part of #India. Is this the official stand of @arivalayam? DMK President @MKStalin and his heir @UdhayStalin should clarify if they have any private #Pakistan deal to take such a stand against India!” As the tweet gained traction, many users from Tamil Nadu and beyond expressed concern over DMK’s use of the incorrect map. One user even tagged the NIA, urging immediate investigation, while others called on the Government of India to take stringent action.
Following the backlash, the DMK removed the video from Facebook on November 14, but did not provide any explanation or apology. Udhayanidhi Stalin’s tweet was also deleted, and neither the party nor its leaders addressed the issue or offered any clarification.
DMK IT Wing
On 10 June 2021, the DMK IT wing’s official Twitter account quoted late former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Annadurai, saying that the demand for a separate “Dravida Nadu” is still relevant, and has fuelled separatism.
DMK NRI wing
Similarly, the DMK NRI wing, shared a post on the social media platform X that included a map of India inaccurately depicting parts of Jammu and Kashmir as belonging to Pakistan and China.
Following significant backlash, with many accusing the DMK of seditious conduct, the post was promptly removed, and a corrected map was uploaded again with the caption, “Tamil Nadu is growing economically like education under the Dravidian model regime!” featuring the correct map of India.
The situation escalated when SG Surya, the State Secretary of Tamil Nadu’s BJP, criticized the DMK in a pointed post on X. He noted that this isn’t the first instance of the party misrepresenting India’s map, recalling a similar incident in 2020 involving Udayanidhi Stalin, the son of Chief Minister MK Stalin.
SG Suryah via his official X account stated, “Not the first time #DMK does this. Previously in 2020 #UdhaynithiStalin made the same mistake in a video & after I filed a complaint with then Police Commissioner he deleted the video where Indian map was misrepresented. No wonder #DMK & DMKTards are fond of Pakistan.”
In November 2022, Salem Dharanidharan, who claims to be a former World Democracy Forum and UN youth leader but is really a DMK spokesperson, posted a distorted map of India that excluded Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin.
He made an anti-North Indian statement by dividing the map into two sections: one representing a large part of South, Central, and Western India with 50% of the population, and a smaller section including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Northeast states, also with 50%. He claimed, “This is why it is very important to discuss delimitation,” suggesting that populous Northern states were depriving Southern states of benefits, fostering resentment. However, after facing backlash and potential legal repercussions, he deleted the tweet.
Senior DMK leader & Spokesperson Constantine Raveendran
Senior DMK leader and spokesperson Constantine Raveendran in an interview claimed that if all 30 Indian states decide to leave the ‘Union,’ there will be no India.
It all began after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday that referring to the Centre as Union Government is not a “social crime” as being portrayed by a few and the DMK government will continue to use the term ‘Union’ to refer central government.
Later in the evening, the issue of referring to the central government as the union government took up prime time debate slots in all mainstream news outlets. Constantine Raveendran, the DMK spokesperson, stated during a debate in News7 Tamil, “India does not exist if there is no state government. Where was India before 1947? There was no India before the British declared independence in 1947. There was no such entity called India prior to the adoption of our constitution on 26 January 1950.”
He went on to say, “Indian government does not have sovereignty on its own and its sovereignty is only transferred from people of the state. If all thirty states decide to leave the ‘Union,’ there will be no India.”
PWD Minister EV Velu
In 2023, a widely circulated video showed EV Velu, the DMK Public Works Minister, making remarks that appeared to disparage India by referring to it as “some place in North India.” This statement drew extensive criticism and condemnation.
In the video, DMK Minister EV Velu can be heard saying, “What is the state today? The word India never had any impact on us. When has India had an impact on us? I’m making an open statement. There wasn’t any such impact on us. I’m talking about some time ago. Where did we have an impact? There was no impact. India is someplace in North India. We belong to Tamil Nadu. If possible, we have to create a Dravida Nadu. Our thought process was going in that direction.”
DMK’s Organizing Secretary RS Bharati
In 2024, DMK’s Organizing Secretary RS Bharati took pride in the DMK advocating for a separate nation, leading to the creation of a distinct IPC act to impede such aspirations. He said, “You go to every town and poach ministers and buy MLAs, but in Tamil Nadu you can’t even touch the slippers of DMK’s last-mile cadres. Even if he dies, he will not change his party and survive. If someone asks Dravida Nadu as a separate nation, 7 years of imprisonment. Today’s politicians doesn’t know the fact. To the Indian Penal Code Section 153, they added a separate section 153 A, to give 7 years imprisonment. They changed the law exclusively for the DMK in 1962. Even with law, they could not destroy DMK. Can you destroy it by shouting?”
DMK Leader K. Ponmudy
In 2024, former DMK minister K. Ponmudy and his son, MP Gautham Sigamani, presented DMK scion and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin with a symbolic shield shaped like a map of South India. The gesture was widely interpreted as an indirect nod to the “Dravida Nadu” separatist ideology once championed by the DMK.
Anti-Hindu Remarks
This isn’t the first time the DMK has been targeting Hindu beliefs. Over the years, several party leaders have made controversial statements that many consider to be mocking Hinduism. Below are some notable instances.
DMK Leader K. Ponmudy
In April 2025, Former DMK Forest Minister K. Ponmudy speaking at an event organized by the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, recounted a vulgar anecdote that linked sacred Hindu religious symbols to sexual positions. The minister referenced a crude joke historically shared in Dravidian movement circles, which equated the forehead markings of Shaivites and Vaishnavites to different sexual acts. The remarks, which quickly went viral, drew widespread condemnation from various political and religious groups. Subsequently, the speech resulted in the DMK stripping him of his post and ministership.
He said, “A man goes to the home of a sex worker. She asked him if he was a Shaivaite or a Vaishnavite. He did not understand. If she had asked for ₹5 or ₹10, it would have been okay. He pondered why she asked if he was a Shaivaite or Vaishnavite coming to a sex worker’s home. When he asked, he did not understand her question. She said if you are a Shaivaite, you wear holy ash this way, and if you are Vaishnavaite, you wear it this way. He did not understand. He asked her what she meant. She said if you are Shaivaite, it means intercourse in a lying position, and if it is Vaishnavaite, intercourse in a standing position.” This went viral and received criticism from all quarters.
Udhayanidhi Stalin
On 2 September 2023, Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK leader and son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, participated in a conference organized by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association titled “Eradicate Sanatana Conference“. During the event, he made a controversial analogy, “The title of this conference has been excellently coined. You’ve named it as ‘Abolish Sanatanam Conference’ and not ‘Oppose Sanatanam Conference’, so my best wishes to that.”
He went further, comparing Sanatanam (Hinduism) to diseases, “Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona – we should not oppose these things. They’ve to be eradicated completely. Same is the case with Santanam (Hinduism). Our first work should be to abolish/eradicate Sanatanam instead of opposing it. So, my appreciations to you all for giving an apt title to the meeting.”
The speech drew widespread criticism, with many seeing it as part of a broader agenda against Sanatana Dharma by the I.N.D.I alliance, of which the DMK is a member.
Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi
Likewise, Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi stated the government’s intention to revise school textbooks to remove certain references to Hinduism. He said, “The part about Sanathana is found in the textbook printed in 2018. As the syllabus is changed every five years, textbooks will be altered next year. We have appointed a committee to look into the issue.”
DMK MP Kanimozhi
In 2018, DMK MP Kanimozhi made remarks about Lord Balaji of Tirupati that sparked outrage. She reportedly said, “Why would we require a god who can’t save the poor?.. There is no need.” She went on to criticize the disparity in temple access, stating, “People talk about morals that everybody is equal before God but the rich people are getting special treatment through special darshan. The poor people had to wait hours together for his darshan every day. He is a god to the people who give crores of rupees.” Kanimozhi further added, “How could he save us who can’t even protect his own Hundi?”
DMK MP A Raja
during a public gathering on 3 March 2024, at Coimbatore A Raja, delivered a speech characterized by abusive language and controversial statements targeted at Hindu beliefs. A Raja stated “If this is your Jai Sri Ram, if this is your Bharat Mata Ki Jai, we will never accept that Jai Sri Ram and Bharat Mata. Tamil Nadu won’t accept. You go and tell, we’re enemies of Ram.“ Later, he recounted the tale Kamba Ramayana and affirmed that “I don’t have faith on Ramayana, and Lord Ram“.
During another occasion in September 2022, while addressing a gathering convened to honor the six-decade association of Dravida Kazhagam head K. Veeramani with Viduthalai, A. Raja remarked, “You’re a Shudra till you remain a Hindu. You’re a son of the prostitute till you remain a Shudra. You’re a Panchaman (Dalit) till you remain a Hindu. You’re an untouchable till you remain a Hindu. How many of you wish to stay as children of prostitutes? How many of you wish to remain untouchable? Only if we’re vocal about these questions, it will become elemental in breaking Santhana (Sanatana Dharma).”
On September 2023 speaking at a protest organized by the rabid anti-Hindu outfit Dravidar Kazhagam against the Centre’s Viswakarma Scheme. A Raja spoke “I am oddly surprised that Udhayanidhi Stalin had only spoken about it only softly saying (Sanatana Dharma) has to be eradicated like malaria and dengue. Malaria and dengue doesn’t have social stigma. The society won’t look at them disgustingly. If we have to call it something disgusting, there was leprosy, there is HIV today. For us, just like leprosy and HIV, we’ve to see it (Sanathana Dharma) as a social stigma.” supporting Udhayanidhi stalin calling Hindu Dharma as Dengue and Malaria it should be eradicated.
During the commemoration and film premiere event for Aanimuthu, affiliated with the Periyar Organization, DMK’s A Raja remarked, “At that point, when I used to step out, my mother would ask me to smear Muruga’s Vibuthi and I would smear it. Then I listened to Periyar’s final speech and continued reading all of his books. After that, I threw away the Vibuthi. Not only that, I also placed a elephant cracker below your Ganesha idol and it exploded. That was a time in my life. The reason behind this change in me is Periyar’s final speech.”
DMK Minister TRB Rajaa
In another incident, DMK IT wing head and MLA TRB Rajaa, son of Lok Sabha MP T.R. Baalu, posted a tweet disrespectful to Hindu sentiments. The tweet featured an image depicting Veer Savarkar as a black bird hitting Lord Vishnu, who was shown mounted on his divine vehicle Garuda.
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