First ED, then CBI and now SIR as a political weapon to intimidate DMK ahead of 2026 election

Having tried the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to intimidate the DMK, the Modi government has now unleashed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a weapon, Chief Minister and ruling DMK president MK Stalin alleged on Monday.

He called upon party functionaries and cadre to make Tuesday’s protest against the SIR by the DMK and its allies, including the Congress, VCK, Left Parties, MDMK, IUML and others, at all district headquarters a grand success . “The BJP is waging a war against the DMK in the guise of SIR. But, it would not succeed and the saffron party’s plans are bound to fail in Tamil Nadu,” he asserted, speaking after solemnising the marriage of party’s Srirangam legislator M Palaniyandi’s son at Trichy.

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Continuing his tirade against the Election Commission of India (ECI), he termed the poll panel as a handmaiden of the BJP-led Union government and conducting the SIR in a tearing hurry when assembly election is a few months away.

Citing the ‘vote chori’ expose of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the chief minister said the DMK had been opposing the SIR from the very beginning. “We are not against the SIR per se but demand that it be conducted in a transparent manner without confusion by granting adequate time,” he said, adding “if it was the ED and CBI earlier, now, it is the SIR now in an attempt to prevent our victory in the election. Though it might work in other states, it will not in Tamil Nadu so long as the DMK is here.”

Turning his ire at the Opposition AIADMK for impleading in the case filed by the DMK in the Supreme court challenging the SIR, Stalin said this raises doubt about their intentions. “Though the SIR poses the danger of disenfranchising large sections of the voters, they are for the SIR, they should have filed a separate petition instead of impleading. They are acting at the behest of others,” he said.