The DMK, which talks big of “Tamil pride” and accuses the Union government of undermining the language through the promotion of Hindi, has once again taken a clean U-turn. When it came to supporting NDA’s Vice-Presidential candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan, a Tamil by birth, the party refused, claiming ideology must prevail over linguistic identity. DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan stated, “We will give preference only to ideology. We cannot support Radhakrishnan merely because he is Tamil. What matters are his ideologies.”
DMK’s History Of Voting Against Tamilians To Highest Offices
This is not the first instance of DMK dismissing the “Tamilian” factor when it doesn’t suit their political agenda. Let’s take a look at the inglorious history of the DMK which claims it stands for Tamils, while voting against Tamilians becoming President or Vice President.
When Karunanidhi Questioned R. Venkatraman’s Credentials
History offers a parallel in 1987, during the Presidential election, when R. Venkataraman, a distinguished Tamil leader, was nominated. Back then, AIADMK founder and Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) pointedly remarked that “not supporting a Tamilian is their stand” in reference to DMK’s reluctance. DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi responded by downplaying Tamil identity, stating that “it is important to see what he has done for Tamil people rather than whether he is Tamil.”
Ironically, R. Venkataraman’s record showed remarkable contributions to Tamil Nadu. A freedom fighter who played a role in the Quit India Movement, he went on to spearhead the state’s industrialisation. As Industries Minister in 1957, he established industrial estates such as Guindy, brought in major national investments, and was instrumental in the founding of the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC). Under his leadership, automobile giants like Ashok Leyland and Hindustan Motors set up base in Tamil Nadu laying the foundation for the state’s emergence as India’s automobile hub. To question “what he has done for Tamil Nadu” is either historical ignorance or deliberate distortion.
R. Venkataraman was not only a freedom fighter who actively participated in the Quit India Movement, but also a visionary statesman who transformed Tamil Nadu’s industrial landscape.
As the Industries Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1957, he was instrumental in setting up industrial… https://t.co/PnntTMUBKC
— 𑀓𑀺𑀭𑀼𑀱𑁆𑀡𑀷𑁆 🇮🇳 (@tskrishnan) August 20, 2025
When Karunanidhi Abused Abdul Kalam When He was Chosen in 2012
When the NDA proposed Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as its candidate for the 2012 Presidential election, the DMK then an ally of the UPA dismissed the idea and reaffirmed its backing for the Congress nominee. Party chief M. Karunanidhi even mocked the suggestion, remarking, “Kalam in Tamil also means chaos (Kalagam). Anyhow, chaos has broken out in the Presidential election.”
Despite the buzz created by TMC leader Mamata Banerjee’s push for Kalam, Karunanidhi made it clear that the DMK would stand by its earlier commitment. “We are firm on what we had said. Defence Minister A K Antony who is said to be a honest man met me (last month) on behalf of Congress. I had extended my support to the message he had brought from (Congress chief) Sonia Gandhi,” he said, stressing that the party’s stance remained unchanged.
He explained that Defence Minister A.K. Antony, whom he described as an honest man, had visited him on behalf of the Congress a month earlier. During that meeting, Antony conveyed a message from Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and Karunanidhi confirmed that the DMK had pledged support to the Congress candidate at that time. Asked whether the Presidential election outcome would influence the next Lok Sabha polls, Karunanidhi declined to speculate.
Thus, the DMK’s approach is consistent: when it suits their narrative, “Tamil” is placed above everything else; but when it does not, the identity card is quietly shelved. It remains a textbook example of selective rhetoric.
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