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BJP demands action over DMK worker’s derogatory remark
In the clip, Sadiq attacks the BJP for being dependent of four actors — Khushbu Sundar, Namitha, Gayathri Raghuram and Gautami Tadimalla. He also spoke of how Sundar has jumped from the DMK to the Congress before joining the BJP in 2020
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A political row has broken out in Tamil Nadu over the comments made by a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) functionary against four women leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a public meeting in Chennai. The issue snowballed on Friday with the saffron party dismissing senior DMK leader Kanimozhi’s apology in the matter and demanding strong action against the functionary.
DMK worker Saidai Sadiq reportedly made the remarks against the BJP leaders — all of them actors-turned-politicians — during a public meeting.
A video clip of Sadiq’s speech surfaced on social media platforms on Thursday. State minister of information technology, Mano Thiyagarajan, can be seen at the event. HT could not verify the authenticity of the clip.
In the clip, Sadiq attacks the BJP for being dependent of four actors — Khushbu Sundar, Namitha, Gayathri Raghuram and Gautami Tadimalla. He also spoke of how Sundar has jumped from the DMK to the Congress before joining the BJP in 2020.
On Thursday, Sundar had lashed out on Twitter at Sadiq’s remarks and brought them to the attention of Kanimozhi, who was recently elevated to the post of DMK deputy general secretary. “When men abuse women, it just shows what kind of upbringing they have had & the toxic environment they were brought up in,” she wrote.
“These men insult the womb of a woman. Such men call themselves followers of #Kalaignar (M Karunanidhi). Is this new Dravidian model under CM M K Stalin rule?” she added.
The same day, Kanimozhi quoted Sundar’s tweet to issue an apology and say that the party does not condone Sadiq’s remarks.
“I apologise as a woman and human being for what was said. This can never be tolerated irrespective of whoever did it, of the space it was said or the party they adhere to. And I’m able to openly apologise for this because my leader @mkstalin and my party @arivalayam don’t condone this,” she tweeted.
However, the political row intensified on Friday with the BJP demanding strong action against Sadiq.
State BJP vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy said DMK president and chief minister M K Stalin should have ordered Sadiq’s arrest. “Will a mere apology and distancing from the comment correct the wrongdoing?” Thirupathy told HT.
“Tamil Nadu police should have arrested that person who spoke filthily against women under Women Harassment Act by this time. If that is not done, the comments made by Ms.Kanimozhi would be considered as name sake and not from her heart. We also request Ms.Kanimozhi to initiate action against the party member and throw him out of the party, so that no one would dare to repeat the same in future,” he added.
“If there is no action on this immediately then people of Tamil Nadu would come to a conclusion that DMK is an anti-women party and a male chauvinist party,” Thirupathy said.
DMK legislator and IT wing secretary TRB Rajaa took to Twitter to condemn Sadiq’s remarks. “Condemnable words from an orator and am sure none in the party leadership will accept such words. While we in the DMK are quick to condemn such acts, it’s shameful that the #Sangithva brigade uses cheap, crass words freely in its opposition. Not a word said by their women leaders.”
