Tamil Nadu Elections 2026: Women Critics & Activists Accuse DMK IT Wing of Years of Misogynistic Online Harassment & Threats

Chennai- As Tamil Nadu gears up for the April 23, Assembly elections, with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force since March 15, a wave of courageous testimonies from women has emerged. Prominent Dalit feminist writer Meena Kandasamy, former journalist and influencer Sonia Arun Kumar, and now Dalit rights activist and author Shalin Maria Lawrence have publicly accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its IT wing of orchestrating years of coordinated online abuse, misogynistic slurs, body-shaming, slut-shaming, and even rape and death threats to silence dissenting voices, particularly those of women critics, journalists, and activists.

In emotional posts shared amid the election announcement, these women described relentless, targeted campaigns that intensified after they raised issues like women's safety, police excesses, Dalit rights, and government accountability. The surge coincides with MCC restrictions, emboldening survivors who previously felt "shattered and silenced" to speak out without immediate fear of reprisal.

In an emotional open letter posted on X, Kandasamy directly addressed Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. She described “unspeakable and relentless abuse” from DMK-affiliated social media handles, including vile slurs such as “prostitute” and “RSS sleeper cell.” The attacks reportedly intensified after she supported YouTuber Savukku Shankar, a vocal critic of the government, despite her having translated the literary biography of Stalin’s father, M. Karunanidhi, at her own father’s request.

"How do I as a mother explain the hatred that is spewed against me everytime I say anything crticial of police excesses, crimes against women, the atrocities on Dalits, the ugly patronage of a poet-molester, and so on. Do I tell them that these people are also fascists because they cannot tolerate any criticism? Or do I tell them that misogyny has impregnated our political landscape that a woman who does not join the groupthink of DMK echochambers automatically becomes an object of ruthless attack. How is it possible that I can write/speak on the genocide of Palestinians, challenge US imperialism, write centrespreads against paramilitary excesses during Operation Khagar criticising Home Minister Amit Shah... but.. as a Tamil woman I cannot write a tweet mildly critical of your govt or its machinery without being subject to vile abuse and unimaginable slander", Kandasamy wrote.

Sonia Arun Kumar echoed this, declaring she would never vote for the DMK due to sustained harassment linked to the party's IT ecosystem, including the son of senior leader R.S. Bharathi. She described it as "systematic, coordinated" intimidation involving anonymous accounts, character attacks, and threats meant to silence critics.

"After DMK came to power, I was subjected to sustained, targeted abuse by Sai LakshmiKanth, son of senior dmk leader RS Bharathi. For years, I was harassed, defamed, and deliberately targeted. False narratives were created about me including claims that I ran a spa centre simply because I had invested in and held a franchise of the Naturals salon chain, founded by CK Kumaravel. A reputed brand with 700–900 outlets across India and presence abroad was twisted into something defamatory to malign me. This was not random trolling. This was organised, persistent character assassination. The mental trauma from this prolonged abuse forced me to step away from my career in media. As one of the few women HODs in the digital space from Tamil Nadu, this was not just a personal loss it reflects the hostile environment created for women who try to build their space independently," she wrote in a recent post.

Adding to the chorus, Dalit rights activist and author Shalin Maria Lawrence shared a powerful Tamil post detailing her long ordeal. She wrote: "For all these years, I have been subjected to the most vile verbal abuse. I have been body-shamed and slut-shamed. I have constantly received rape and death threats. During all those times, when no one raised a voice in my defense because they were bound by loyalty to their respective political parties, movements, or groups, I began to retaliate in the only way I knew how. When engaging in political discourse, if someone tells me to 'get lost, you whore,' the only response I can offer is to say, 'I will strike you with my slipper.' I certainly cannot cradle them in my lap and affectionately address them as 'Comrade.'

You remain silent and watch passively while I am being oppressed; yet, the moment I retaliate by hurling insults back at someone, you suddenly pop up to exclaim, 'Oh my God, look at how vulgarly she speaks!' You lack the guts to even condemn someone like Madur Sathya, who behaved inappropriately with women and circulated intimate videos he recorded with them throughout the town yet you have the audacity to lecture me on morality simply because I insult those who insult me. I have absolutely no respect for such dogs.

The other laughable irony in all this is the feigned shock: 'How on earth does she get invited to speak at so many different venues?'

This implies that the general public is well aware of the work I do for society, the specific contexts in which I choose to retaliate against others, and the political dynamics at play around me.

You are welcome to sit right here in this social media echo chamber, keep talking endlessly about me, and just rot away in your own filth.

I, however, will continue to grow and rise. And no one, absolutely no one can stop that. Period."

Shalin's account aligns with earlier reports of targeted harassment she has faced from DMK-associated handles, including casteist slurs, body-shaming, religious attacks, and threats often in coordinated waves while she advocates against Dalit atrocities.

These revelations strike at the heart of the DMK's image as a champion of social justice, women's empowerment (via schemes like Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai), and anti-fascist values exposing alleged contradictions in its handling of online misogyny and intimidation.

Solidarity posts have gone viral, drawing thousands of views, support from women's rights observers, and opposition amplification.