J. Saburama Minhaj, a Congress councillor who recently joined the TVK, had a heated argument with DMK councillor V.G. Mohankumar during the council meeting held in Erode, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M.
Tension prevailed at the Erode Corporation Council meeting on Tuesday (May 26, 2026) after a heated exchange broke out between councillors of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), resulting in noisy scenes in the House.The meeting had drawn attention, as four councillors – A.R. Jagadesan (Ward 31), S. Thangavel (Ward 48), and S. Hemalatha (Ward 15), who were elected on AIADMK tickets, and J. Saburama Minhaj (Ward 43), elected on a Congress ticket – had recently joined the TVK. The councillors submitted a letter to Corporation Commissioner Arpit Jain, stating that they would henceforth function as TVK members.The councillors also placed a portrait of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay in the Commissioner’s office and later in the council hall. Subsequently, they attempted to place the portrait in the Mayor’s chamber, drawing strong objections from the DMK councillors.The DMK members said the party enjoyed a clear majority in the Corporation and opposed the installation of the portrait in the chamber. The TVK councillors, however, insisted that the portrait be placed, leading to a heated argument between the two sides. The Mayor’s side later said a decision on the issue would be taken within a week after consultations with Mayors of other Corporations. Following this, the TVK councillors left the chamber, stating that they would install the portrait themselves if no decision was taken within a week.When the meeting, chaired by Mayor S. Nagarathinam, began at 11.30 a.m., the TVK councillors extended greetings to Chief Minister Vijay, and thanked the government for appointing the Erode East MLA as the Handlooms Minister. During the discussion, they also referred to the “DMK 2.0” campaign and alleged that the party had failed, despite attempting to secure votes through “cash distribution.”The remarks drew sharp protests from the DMK councillors, resulting in a verbal altercation. TVK councillor Saburama Minhaj and DMK councillor V.G. Mohankumar were involved in a heated exchange. The DMK councillors also demanded that Ms. Saburama resign from the councillor post, stating that she had been elected as part of the DMK-led alliance through the Congress party before joining the TVK.The commotion was later brought under control and the meeting resumed, with councillors taking up issues relating to their wards. Police personnel were deployed outside the meeting hall as a precautionary measure. Published - May 26, 2026 06:56 pm IST
