Jagan’s ‘distorted remarks’ on DSC reflective of his political desperation, says Health Minister Satya Kumar

On September 13, 2026, DMK deputy general secretary and Nilgiris MP A. Raja expressed remorse over his controversial comments targeting Tamil Nadu Minister for Energy Resources and Law, C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar. Following the remarks, which drew widespread condemnation, Kumar responded, stating that whenever the DMK faces criticism for corruption, betrayal, and lies, it resorted to violence or obscene speech. Kumar predicted that the people would soon write the DMK's final chapter in Tamil Nadu politics.

The exchange of harsh words originated from Raja's alleged derogatory remarks against Kumar during a protest against Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, which took place in Chennai on Saturday. During the protest, Raja criticized Vijay for allegedly disrespecting DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during his speech in the Assembly. Raja's comments against Kumar arose amid Kumar's questioning of why Stalin was arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during India's Emergency in 1976.

An emotional Raja, a former Union Minister, acknowledged his regret over the remarks after receiving substantial backlash on social media platforms. CPI (M) State secretary P. Shanmugam condemned Raja for his remarks, asserting that it is unacceptable to repeatedly malign women and party supporters. Shanmugam questioned why the DMK president remains silent while Kumar's mother is insulted by his supporters.

Raja, addressing the controversy in a post on X, admitted that his remarks were made in an emotional outburst. He took full responsibility for backing off his words, stating that he had no qualms about retracting them. He also warned that continued misconduct would force him to take further action.