Why DMK has hit the streets over TVK minister’s two-year-old video

The DMK on Monday mounted one of its first major street protests against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s government, demanding the dismissal and arrest of Human Resources Management Minister D Sarath Kumar over a resurfaced viral video that many allege depicts conduct resembling drug use.

The police denied permission for the demonstration, but in Chennai, dozens of DMK workers and members of the party’s students wing assembled near Rajarathinam Stadium and later staged a road blockade at Doveton in Vepery, briefly disrupting traffic. Officers detained more than 50 protesters, including party functionaries, before dispersing the gathering, citing prohibitory orders. Officials said those detained were likely to be released later.

The protest was all about the Opposition party’s attempt to turn a social media controversy into a political issue, arguing that a minister should be held to a higher standard, particularly amid public campaigns against narcotics.

VIDEO | Tamil Nadu: Over 250 DMK cadres detained by police for staging protest against Minister Sarathkumar and seeking his dismissal over allegations of his narcotics substance use in public.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/25c0dOuX5E

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 29, 2026

What is the row?

The controversy stems from a short video that has resurfaced online after reportedly first appearing as an Instagram story posted by Sarath Kumar about two years ago with the caption “Thug Life”. The clip, apparently recorded during an IPL match at Chennai’s M A Chidambaram Stadium, shows the minister seated among spectators handling a small quantity of white, powder-like substance on the screen of a smartphone.

Interestingly, the video surfaced on the same day Vijay ran a “Start Run, Stop Drugs” anti-drug awareness marathon in Chennai last week, adding a strong edge to the controversy around his minister.

In the footage, Sarath Kumar appears to use an ATM card to press, scrape and gather the substance into a finer powder. A Rs 500 currency note is visible nearby, and at one point he appears to wipe or clean the card or his hand against a handle.

Many online argued that the sequence bears a resemblance to familiar visual depictions of narcotics being prepared, prompting allegations on social media that the minister was using drugs.

The video has since triggered sharp political criticism from Opposition parties.

Minister’s defence

Sarath Kumar has categorically denied the allegation, saying the substance shown was not narcotics but a medicine tablet that he crushed to administer to his sick daughter, who was with him at the match. According to the minister, he used the card simply to crush the tablet into powder so it could be given more easily to the child. He said the clip had been stripped of its context and was being deliberately misrepresented on social media.

The allegation, therefore, remains based on interpretations of the visuals in the video.

DMK steps up attack

Despite that clarification, the DMK intensified its attack. Its students wing announced a statewide agitation demanding Sarath Kumar’s immediate dismissal from the Cabinet, arguing that a minister should not be associated with visuals that raise questions during an anti-drug campaign.

In a statement announcing Monday’s protest, the organisation said combating drug abuse was a collective social responsibility and alleged that the minister’s actions ran contrary to that objective. It further accused him of “hiding behind a child to play politics”.

Former Health Minister M A Subramanian accused the government of suppressing democratic protests and criticised what he described as its handling of drug-related issues. DMK spokesperson Saravanan also criticised the police action, alleging that party workers attempting to make arrangements for the protest had been detained overnight.

The controversy has also drawn criticism beyond the DMK. DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth described the footage as “highly condemnable”, saying public representatives should maintain proper conduct and that the emergence of the video during an anti-drug campaign was unfortunate. Separately, a woman advocate, Saranya, submitted a complaint to the Chennai City Police Commissioner seeking legal action against the minister.

Sarath Kumar, who was only recently inducted into the Vijay cabinet, continues to reject the allegations. His party, the TVK, has since sought to distance itself from the episode as political pressure over the viral video continues to grow.