The Supreme Court sharply rebuked the DMK on Tuesday. The case involved Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay and the ruling TVK party. DMK had filed a plea linked to the September 2025 Karur stampede case.

A bench of Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe expressed displeasure over the plea. DMK had asked the court to regulate the chief minister’s speeches and visits. The court criticized the opposition party for using the top judicial forum to settle political scores.

The court asked, with visible surprise, what exactly DMK wanted. It questioned whether DMK wanted the Supreme Court to dictate what a chief minister should do. The court made clear that Chief Minister Vijay is not an accused in the case.

The court also questioned DMK General Secretary RS Bharathi sharply. It asked whether DMK wanted an injunction on free speech. The court said DMK could make its own statements instead. It further asked how the court could issue orders against a political rival’s statement when the CBI is already investigating the matter.

Following this, DMK itself requested to withdraw the plea. The court accepted the request. Earlier, DMK’s counsel had claimed that a narrative was being built by the accused. On Monday, the court had agreed to list the plea for urgent hearing.

The case stemmed from the petitioner’s claim that Vijay and other members of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam could influence witnesses. TVK is the new political party of actor-turned-politician Vijay, which won a surprise victory in the April-May election.

The plea referred to the chief minister’s proposed visit to Karur on July 10. Reports suggest the visit will include handing over job letters and financial aid to families of those killed in the stampede. DMK had argued that this meeting could be seen as influencing witnesses who may be part of the ongoing federal investigation.