A former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha, likened the party to a terrorist organisation and threatened to ban it for its frequent involvement in violence and vandalism of public property.

At the peak of the protests, the state was paralysed for a week when thousands of trees were felled, highways blocked and damaged and more than 1,400 houses of the Dalit community were burned down.

[7] Later, in 1989, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government led by M. Karunanidhi granted MBC status to the Vanniyars, with the associated reservation entitlements in education and employment.

On 26 March 2009, PMK declared that, it would join the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led front and left the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Ramadoss and his son, Anbumani Ramdoss, were arrested by the Jayalalitha government for their inflammatory speeches, the PMK cadres indulged in violence in April 2013 causing property damages estimated worth ₹600 crores.

[20] In November 2020, Ramadoss called for a protest demanding 20% internal reservation for Vanniyars in the MBC category in education and jobs from 1 December.

[23] The move was taken ahead of the April 6 assembly elections to appease the PMK, which had threatened to quit the coalition if their demand was not satisfied.

[26] The PMK defied Tamil Nadu's Dravidian political culture by explicitly appealing to its caste identification when asking for support.