In a sharp retort to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s “Where is your father?” jab, DMK president M.K. Stalin on Thursday (June 25, 2026) said he was in the people’s hearts.

Speaking at a wedding reception at the residence of former DMK Minister Mathivanan in Tirurvarur, Mr. Stalin recalled that when the Leader of the Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, brought up various issues faced by Tamil Nadu in the Assembly and demanded answers, the Chief Minister responded by saying, “Where is your father?”

“On one hand, there is the power outage issue, and on the other, a situation where water could not be released from the Mettur dam on time for farmers in the Delta districts. As the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Udhayanidhi spoke extensively about these issues in the Assembly and demanded answers from the Chief Minister, to which the Chief Minister gave such a response,” Mr. Stalin said.

‘Can find Stalin in files on welfare schemes’

“I will not be in the place where you are searching. Whether I am in the Assembly or not, I stay in the people’s hearts. I signed the file providing a monthly grant of ₹1,000 to women under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai scheme. You can find Stalin there. Look at the file for the Pudhumai Penn scheme, under which ₹1,000 is provided (to girl students) every month; you would find my signature there. The Tamil Pudhalvan scheme provides ₹1,000 (to boy students); Stalin will be there, too,” he said.

Quoting former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, he said that as long as the women’s rights grant scheme exists, he will remain the ‘Chief Minister’. “Anna once said, ‘I have named the State Tamil Nadu. Whether I am in power or not, as long as the name Tamil Nadu is uttered, my name will endure.’ Similarly, as long as the women’s rights grant scheme exists, I am the Chief Minister,” the DMK leader said.