‘Why Delay?’ Udhayanidhi Challenges Vijay to Reveal Corruption Files

Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Friday challenged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to make public three alleged corruption files that the latter had said were on his table, escalating a political confrontation in the Assembly.

Initiating a debate, Udhayanidhi recalled Vijay’s August 19 statement that he possessed incriminating documents relating to three departments from the previous DMK regime. He urged the Chief Minister to open the files and initiate action, questioning why their contents were being withheld.

“Why are you afraid to reveal and why are you delaying?” Udhayanidhi asked. A remark directed at Vijay’s decision-making was later expunged from the Assembly records by Speaker J C D Prabhakar.

Minister N Anand said the government had full evidence concerning the files and assured the House that legal action would be initiated at the appropriate time.

The Speaker also rejected Udhayanidhi’s allegation that Vijay depended on others for decisions, asserting that the Chief Minister functioned independently based on his judgment and administrative capabilities. Prabhakar urged legislators to avoid references to “punch dialogues” and cinematic behaviour, saying unverified allegations would not be allowed without supporting documents.

The Assembly also witnessed a dispute over the government’s proposal to provide official vehicles to all MLAs. Udhayanidhi said DMK’s 59 legislators would decline the vehicles, citing the state’s financial difficulties. He suggested that the facility be restricted to economically disadvantaged legislators.

The Treasury defended the proposal as a necessity for constituency work, rather than a luxury. Another heated exchange centred on the Assembly’s live telecast. Udhayanidhi said the proceedings were increasingly resembling a reality entertainment programme. Ministers Aadhav Arjuna and Anand defended live broadcasting, arguing it allowed citizens to directly observe legislative proceedings.

Despite remarks being expunged, their circulation through social media clips and reels has raised questions over the effectiveness of traditional Assembly record deletions.