DMK Deputy General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva has stirred a major political controversy following remarks made during a party meeting in Perambur, Chennai, where he made contested claims about late Congress leader and former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj.
Speaking at the gathering, Siva asserted that Kamaraj, shortly before his death, had held the hand of then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and urged him to “save the country and democracy.” He also made claims about Kamaraj’s personal preferences, stating that the veteran leader would not sleep without air conditioning.
Siva recounted, “Similarly, when I was around 23 or 24, Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) would take me in his car and recount some events. Some people would question why he was telling these things to a young kid. But he knew I would speak about them in public meetings and convey them effectively to the people. He would tell me many such stories. One day, he told me this, ‘Kamarajar has organized condemnation meetings all over Tamil Nadu against electricity shortage. Kamarajar would get an allergy if he didn’t have air conditioning. So, he (Karunanidhi) ordered that all the visitors’ bungalows where he stayed be equipped with air conditioning. Even though he (Kamaraj) was speaking against him, considering his health, I made sure all those bungalows had air conditioning.’”
Further narrating a political anecdote from the Emergency period, Siva claimed that Karunanidhi sought to protect Kamaraj from being arrested by the Central Government when he planned to travel to Tirupati. “During the Emergency, they were desperate to arrest him but couldn’t do it in Tamil Nadu. Just then, he was about to leave for an event in Tirupati. A message went from the Chief Minister’s office, saying, ‘Please don’t go to Tirupati.’ He retorted, ‘I’m not a DMK member; I’m a Congress member, Who is he to tell me that tell me I can’t go?’ Then, he told, ‘I’m not a DMK leader, I’m the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. My order is that you shouldn’t go there.’ Immediately, he shot back, ‘What? You’re ordering me? I’m the one who gave up that chair! Is this guy so big that he can order me around? I’m going!’ So, thalaivar called Rajaram Naidu and said, ‘Please make him understand. I’m not a big shot who can order him around. There’s nothing above him. The Central Government is desperate to arrest him. As long as he’s within Tamil Nadu’s borders, I will protect him. If he crosses this border and goes to Tirupati, which is in Andhra, I won’t be able to save him if they arrest him. That’s why I asked him not to go.’ It was only then that he (Kamaraj) said, ‘I spoke without understanding him. He has such a big heart. ‘ Finally, holding his hand, before his death, he said, ‘You are the one who must save this country and democracy.’”
சாகும் தறுவாயில் கருணாநிதி கையை பிடித்தாரா காமராஜர்..? திருச்சி சிவா சொல்கிறார்..! #Kamarajar | #Kalaignar | #TrichySiva | #PolimerNews https://t.co/iESGBYEGzM
— Polimer News (@polimernews) July 16, 2025
These remarks have drawn widespread criticism, especially from Congress leaders and Kamaraj supporters who view the statements as distortions of historical fact and an attempt to elevate Karunanidhi at the expense of Kamaraj’s legacy.
Responding strongly, Congress MP from Karur, Jothimani, issued a statement on social media platform X, saying, “The great leader Kamarajar is renowned worldwide not only for his integrity and administrative prowess but also for his simplicity.
Is there any place in Tamil Nadu where Kamarajar’s footsteps have not tread? Such is the extent of his travels across every nook and corner of Tamil Nadu. In those nooks and corners, there were no air-conditioned rooms or five-star hotels. As a Chief Minister, he stayed in government guest houses, and if it was too hot, he would sleep under a tree on a cot. He was a simple man who even told his security personnel to rest and was accustomed to sleeping alone.
The claim by brother Thiru Trichy Siva that Kamarajar would not sleep without an air-conditioned room is entirely contrary to the truth.
This must be seen as a continuation of the myths propagated in the past with political malice against our leader Kamarajar.
The Congress Party paid rent for the house where Kamarajar lived. The myth propagated by the DMK that it was his personal mansion is what led to the defeat of this great personality of our land in the electoral arena, as history records.
If we fail to give a fitting reply to the myths spread against Kamarajar, his soul will not forgive us. Every Congress worker must remember that it is because of his name that the Congress Party still stands in the political arena of Tamil Nadu to this day.”
பெருந்தலைவர் காமராஜர் நேர்மைக்கும்,நிர்வாகத்திறமைக்கும் மட்டுமல்ல எளிமைக்கும் பெயர் போனவர் என்பதை உலகறியும்.
தமிழ்நாட்டில் காமராஜர் கால்தடம் படியாத இடம் ஏதாவது இருக்கிறதா என்று ஆச்சர்யப்படக்கூடிய அளவில் தமிழ்நாட்டின் மூலை முடுக்கெல்லாம் பயணம் செய்தவர் பெருந்தலைவர் காமராஜர்.…
— Jothimani (@jothims) July 16, 2025
Historians and critics have also pointed out that contemporary records indicate Kamaraj’s last known words were to his aide, “Vairava, turn off that lamp”, before retiring to bed on the night of his death, casting doubt on the dramatic account relayed by Tiruchi Siva.
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