Overview

• Over 50 Congress members, including state general secretary Saravanan, were detained in Tiruchirappalli after blockading MP Tiruchi Siva’s home to protest his air-conditioning anecdote about K. Kamaraj.
• TNCC president K. Selvaperunthagai and Congress MP S. Jothimani publicly denounced Siva’s comments as unfounded and demanded an apology.
• Chief Minister M. K. Stalin issued a social media appeal urging dignified discourse and unity within the DMK-Congress alliance.
• Tiruchi Siva released a clarification reiterating his admiration for Kamaraj’s simplicity and asking the public not to misinterpret his remarks.
• BJP and AIADMK leaders seized on the episode to question the stability of the INDIA bloc partnership ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.