Chennai: Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer So Tharman has said the DMK’s electoral defeat should not be seen as Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s administrative failure, but as the outcome of mistakes by officials and people close to him.
In a social media post, he noted that the DMK has formed a 38-member committee to study the reasons for the defeat. He also pointed to Stalin’s statement taking full responsibility as party leader, calling it a mark of leadership.
Tharman said he had repeatedly sent written representations about his own issue to the Chief Minister’s special cell, but received no response and was unsure whether the letters even reached the Chief Minister.
He argued that the influence of ruling party functionaries in government offices can distort truth and deepen public resentment. Citing a widely viewed media clip of a lawyer being chased and assaulted in Chennai, followed by reports of a case being filed against the assaulted lawyer, he said such incidents raise questions among ordinary people.
According to him, the DMK’s heavy setback even in Chennai reflects the cost of keeping such “uncivilised” acts out of a good Chief Minister’s sight. He alleged that officials and close aides misled Stalin with false information and concealed realities, leading to the party’s defeat.
