DMK's 'coconut trees' jibe at CM Vijay's allies draws 'peak of incivility' retort

In a veiled yet apparent swipe at Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) for backing Vijay and joining his government, senior DMK leader A Raja suggested a figurative term for their political shift -- "Mudattange".

A Mudattange refers to a coconut tree that bends away from the place where it grew and offers its fruits or tender coconuts to a neighbouring house.

The Thol Thirumavalavan-led VCK hit back swiftly, calling the remark the "peak of incivility" and "arrogance", and claimed it had exposed the true face of the MK Stalin-led DMK.

Raja’s remarks came on the day VCK legislator Vanni Arasu and IUML MLA AM Shahjahan were sworn in as ministers in the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government led by Vijay.

"If the coconut tree in my garden bends over and gives water to the house opposite, in literature it is called 'Mudattange'! What name can be given to it in politics? Long live Tamil!,” he wrote on X, without naming any parties.

VCK, IUML, the Left parties and Congress were part of the DMK-led alliance in the recent Assembly elections. However, after Vijay emerged victorious, the parties extended support to him and joined the TVK-led ruling dispensation. Shahjahan was appointed Minister for Minorities Welfare, while Vanni Arasu was given the Social Justice portfolio.

VCK, which enjoys significant support among Dalit voters, has long been a key ally of the DMK. The party contested eight seats as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance in the recently concluded Assembly elections and won two. IUML, which contested two seats as part of the alliance, secured victories in both constituencies.

VCK HITS BACK AT DMK

Hitting back at A Raja’s remarks, the VCK accused the DMK leader of displaying the "peak of incivility" by mocking VCK and IUML’s decision to share power in the Vijay-led government. In a sharp response, the party said the comments reflected the DMK’s “arrogance” towards social justice-based parties.

"The tweet posted by DMK MP A Raja on his social media page, mocking the stand taken by the VCK and IUML on the democratic principle of 'power sharing', and crosses the boundaries of ethical political civility and is the height of indecency," the party wrote.

It added, "Whenever parties rooted in social justice assert their rights or put forward alternative political views, the DMK’s tendency to belittle them and speak in a threatening tone only reflects the party’s arrogance of power."

With two Congress legislators also taking oath as ministers in the new government, the number of alliance partners in the Vijay cabinet has risen to four. The Vijay-led ministry now has 35 members, including the chief minister, the maximum strength permitted under the Constitution.

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