Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay moved a resolution in the Assembly against the Karnataka government’s proposal to construct a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery at Mekedatu, on June 19, 2026
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

V.K. Rajeev, Tamil Nadu Minister for Environment and Climate Change. File
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay moves a resolution in the Assembly against the Karnataka government’s Mekedatu dam proposal
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday (June 18, 2026) alleged that the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government had failed to take adequate steps to secure Cauvery water for kuruvai cultivation in the Delta districts, causing hardship to farmers and depriving agricultural labourers of employment opportunities.

Speaking to reporters after the Governor’s address in the Assembly, Mr. Palaniswami said the Mettur Dam could not be opened on June 12 as the storage level was inadequate.

“The TVK government has Congress members in the Cabinet. It could have used their support to hold talks with the Karnataka Chief Minister and secure the water due to Tamil Nadu as per the monthly schedule,” he said.

Mr. Palaniswami said although the government had announced 436 schemes across various departments at a Cabinet meeting, they did not find mention in the Governor’s address.

Law-and-order issues

He alleged despite Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay making tall promises on curbing drug abuse, ensuring the safety of women and maintaining law and order, the increasing number of crimes in the State was shocking.

“The government has failed to take adequate steps to maintain law and order. Though a Special Drug Prevention Force has been constituted, drug trafficking and sales have increased compared to the past,” he said.

The former Chief Minister claimed in the 38 days since the government assumed office, 150 cases had been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

“A total of 126 cases relating to sexual offences against women have also been registered. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that the Singappen Force, which was constituted to protect women, now needs another force to protect itself. It is laughable,” he quipped.

Mr. Palaniswami further said several key promises made by the TVK during the election campaign had not found a place in the Governor’s address. These included increasing financial assistance for women to ₹2,500 per month, providing six free LPG cylinders annually, raising the old-age pension to ₹3,000, introducing the Anna Seer scheme providing one sovereign of gold to women at the time of marriage, gifting a gold ring to every child born in a government hospital, and providing ₹4,000 as unemployment assistance.

“The TVK made glittering promises to secure votes and capture power. There are also unannounced power cuts across the State, particularly during the night. People are unable to sleep,” he said.

On White Paper

Mr. Palaniswami alleged the White Paper on fiscal situation released by the government merely reproduced figures contained in the interim Budget presented by the previous DMK government.

“The White Paper is an admission that the government will not be able to implement its welfare promises. The Chief Minister promised change, but what the people have got is disappointment,” he said.

Resignations of MLAs

Asked about the resignation of former Minister and AIADMK MLA C. Vijayabaskar, Mr. Palaniswami said the question should be posed to him.

When told about the allegation that his leadership was responsible for the party’s electoral setback, Mr. Palaniswami wondered whether the candidate could have won had the leadership been ineffective.

“He won because of strong leadership, the welfare schemes implemented during my tenure as Chief Minister, and the hard work of AIADMK cadres, leaders, and our alliance partners,” he said.

Mr. Palaniswami said those who had resigned their Assembly seats had failed to respect the people who voted for them and the party workers who toiled for their victory. “They will reap the consequences in the future,” he added.

Responding to former Minister C.V. Shanmugam’s demand that the party’s general council be convened immediately, Mr. Palaniswami said, “We have reached this stage only through mere talks and talks.”

He questioned why Mr. Shanmugam had lost the 2021 Assembly election despite the AIADMK’s alliance partner, the PMK, being strong in the northern districts.

“We fielded candidates in the 2026 election based on his recommendations in constituencies such as Villupuram, Vanur, and Tindivanam. Why did those candidates lose? He is making allegations only to create confusion within the alliance,” he said.

Mr. Palaniswami said he would hold consultations with party functionaries in every district.

“They are the people who worked day and night to secure victory for the candidates of the party and its alliance partners. We have already held a meeting with office-bearers from Kancheepuram district and gave everyone an opportunity to express their views. The party leadership will act on the feedback received,” he said.

General council meeting

Mr. Palaniswami said that after obtaining opinions from office-bearers in every district—including MLAs, MPs, former Ministers, former legislators, general council members and executive committee members—the party would convene its general council meeting.

“Only then can we evolve constructive ideas for the growth of the party and analyse the reasons for the defeat,” he said.

Mr. Palaniswami asserted no individual, however influential, could damage the AIADMK.

“We have faced many challenges in the past. We have experienced victories and defeats in equal measure. Even now, we have won 47 seats. I have been accused of facing continuous defeats, but I won my constituency by the largest margin. A change of government is normal in a democracy and is often shaped by circumstances,” he said.

Published – June 18, 2026 02:34 pm IST

Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar. File
| Photo Credit: R. Ragu

A faction of 30 plus AIADMK MLAs led by Mailam Assembly constituency MLA C.Ve.Shanmugam and Thondamuthur Assembly Constituency MLA S.P. Velumani coming out of Pro-tem Assembly speaker MV. Karuppaiah’s office after submitting letter as the new leader of the AIADMK Legislative Party, on May 11, 2026.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

New Delhi:

Tamil Nadu Assembly’s first session of the year got off to a stormy start on Monday as the Opposition AIADMK and BJP MLAs protested and raised slogans against the Anna University sexual assault case. Several leaders, including Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami – who led the protest – also held placards in the House.

The Assembly Speaker M Appavu asked the protesting MLAs to stop the sloganeering. However, as they did not stop, the Speaker ordered marshalls to evacuate them. 

Following this, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and other BJP leaders also walked out of the Assembly.

According to BJP MLA, Vanathi Srinivasan, they do not have any faith in the government’s investigation into the sexual assault case. “We suspect someone is being safeguarded…Opposition is not politicising the issue. We are raising women’s safety issues,” she told NDTV.

The ruling DMK government has been facing challenges as its allied party, the VCK, also submitted a notice to the Speaker to discuss the issues surrounding the Anna University sexual assault case.

The incident took place on December 23, when a 19-year-old engineering student was allegedly sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus. The victim, in her complaint, said that the assailant had attacked her and her male friend, brutally assaulting the latter before dragging her into nearby shrubs.

One person, Gnanasekaran –  a roadside biryani vendor – was arrested shortly after the complaint was filed. 

AIADMK students’ wing members detained

AIADMK Students’ wing members held a protest outside Anna University on Monday morning. They distributed black bands to the students and public as a mark of support to the victim and to garner the attention of the state government to arrest the real accused, an AIADMK member said.

The students, however, were detained as they were denied permission to hold the protest.

They would be released later in the day, police said.

Another high drama in Tamil Nadu assembly 

Another high drama followed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly as Governor TN Ravi walked out of the inaugural session of the House, accusing DMK of disrespecting the Constitution by refusing to sing the National Anthem before the session convened.

“The Constitution of Bharat and the National Anthem were once again insulted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly today. Respecting the National Anthem is among the first Fundamental Duty as enshrined in our Constitution. It is sung in all the state legislatures at the beginning and the end of Governor’s address. Today on the arrival of the Governor to the House only Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu was sung,” the Raj Bhavan said in a post on X.

It added that while the Governor “respectfully reminded” the House to play the national anthem, they “cussedly refused”.

“It is a matter of grave concern. Not to be a party to such brazen disrespect to the Constitution and the National Anthem, Governor in deep anguish left the House,” the post read.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly reportedly has a tradition of beginning and ending the session with the national anthem.

The Governor also did not deliver the customary address to the Assembly.

This is not the first time that the Governor has walked out of the Assembly and refused to deliver the address. In 2023, dramatic scenes played out in the Assembly when TN Ravi skipped parts of the official speech prepared by the DMK. He did not mention parts of the address that mentioned leaders such as Periyar, BR Ambedkar, K Kamaraj, CN Annadurai, and K Karunanidhi.

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi refused to deliver his customary address to the Assembly today and walked out in protest of the National Anthem not being sung at the beginning of the address. As per tradition, the state anthem Tamil Thai Valthu is sung when the House meets and the National Anthem at the end. But Governor Ravi has taken exception to this norm and said the national anthem should be sung at both times.

“The Constitution of Bharat and the National Anthem were once again insulted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly today. Respecting the National Anthem is among the first Fundamental Duty as enshrined in our Constitution. It is sung in all the state legislatures at the beginning and the end of Governor’s address,” the Raj Bhavan said in a statement after the Governor walked out today. “Today on arrival of Governor to the House only Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu was sung. Governor respectfully reminded the House of its Constitutional Duty and fervently appealed to the Hon’ble Chief Minister who is the Leader of the House and the Hon’ble Speaker for singing the National Anthem. However, they cussedly refused. It is a matter of grave concern. Not to be a party to such brazen disrespect to the Constitution and the National Anthem, Governor in deep anguish left the House,” the Raj Bhavan added.

In response, Chief Minister MK Stalin said in a post on X that the Governor had made it a custom to violate the Assembly’s tradition and called his actions “childish”. “According to the Constitution, it is a tradition of legislative democracy for the state governor to read the government’s address at the beginning of the year! He has made it his custom to violate it @rajbhavan_TN. It is childish that the governor, who has cut out what was there and added what was not, has gone without reading it this time,” he said, referring to passages skipped by the Governor in his earlier speeches in Assembly.

“The Governor’s actions in continuously insulting the people of Tamil Nadu, the government elected by them, and the century-old Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly are unbecoming of the position he holds. Why should someone who is unwilling to perform their political and legal duties remain in office is the question on everyone’s mind!” he added.

After the Governor walked out, Assembly Speaker M Appavu delivered the customary address that was to be read by the Governor.

This is not the first time the Raj Bhavan and the DMK government have sparred over the custom in Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Last February, the Governor had refused to deliver the customary address to the Assembly and said the draft had “numerous passages with misleading claims far from truth”. The Raj Bhavan also said that the National Anthem must be shown due respect and played both at the beginning and end of the Governor’s address.

In 2022, R N Ravi refused to read parts of the speech that had the names of BR Ambedkar, Periyar, CN Annadurai besides the phrase ‘Dravidian Model’ and some references to law and order in Tamil Nadu. He had then walked out even without waiting for the national anthem after the House adopted a resolution to record only the official speech and not the Governor’s version.

Ever since he took over as Tamil Nadu Governor in 2021, Mr Ravi has had frosty ties with the MK Stalin-led state government. The DMK government has accused him of acting like a BJP spokesperson and blocking Bills and appointments. The Governor has said the Constitution empowers him to withhold his assent to legislation. The dispute between the Raj Bhavan and state government has also reached the Supreme Court and Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Supreme Court and Madras High Court have held that Governors ought to function on the aid and advice of the cabinet.