Stalin mistakenly calls Rahul 'Rajiv Gandhi;' BJP, Vijay's TVK mock
What's the story
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has come under fire for mistakenly referring to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as "my dear brother Rajiv Gandhi," his father and former prime minister. The blunder occurred during a "Voter Adhikar" rally in Bihar, organized by the Congress-led INDIA bloc. The rally was held to protest against the Election Commission's revision of Bihar voter lists, which the opposition claims is an attempt at voter fraud.
Edit backlash
DMK attempted to fix error by editing video
The DMK had tried to fix the error by editing a video of Stalin's speech on his YouTube channel, but the patch was poorly synced. The edited video, with the jarring "Rahul Gandhi" swap-out for "Rajiv Gandhi," is still available online. The DMK has not commented further on this issue, dismissing criticism as "petty politics."
Twitter Post
Watch the video here
Thiru @mkstalin’s government in TN thrives on patchwork and deception.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) August 27, 2025
Going all the way to Bihar and getting the name wrong despite reading it from a piece of paper is one thing, but the desperate attempt to patch it up is even more telling. pic.twitter.com/IicVupwQkk
Political fallout
BJP, Vijay's TVK mock Stalin
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Tamil actor Vijay's TVK party have seized on Stalin's error. "Thiru @mkstalin's government in TN thrives on patchwork and deception. Going all the way to Bihar and getting the name wrong despite reading it from a piece of paper is one thing, but the desperate attempt to patch it up is even more telling," K Annamalai, former Tamil Nadu BJP chief, wrote on X, sharing the blunder video.
Critique
BJP slams opposition leaders as 'out-of-sync dynasts'
Stalin's DMK has been critical of the Election Commission's special intensive revision (SIR) in Bihar, terming it an unfair exercise. The party, citing the removal of 65 lakh voters from the electoral record, claimed that "lakhs of people with an anti-BJP mindset were removed from the rolls in Bihar." Last month, Stalin claimed the SIR was "tilting the balance in favor of the BJP."