CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday strongly condemned the slapping of a passenger by DMK treasurer M K Stalin while travelling on the Metro Rail on July 1 and urged him to maintain decorum in public places at least hereafter.
In a statement here, Jayalalithaa said media had been carrying reports about this incident. “The way Stalin had behaved was unbecoming of a legislator. He should realise that in public places, everyone has equal rights and nobody is inferior to others. Stalin should keep up the decorum of a legislator hereafter”, she said.
Denying the charges, Stalin told mediapersons that he was waving at a DMK cadre who was travelling with him to move away as he was blocking the way of passengers. “My hands brushed against the cadre’s cheek. This is being shown as if I have slapped the cadre,” he claimed.
Karthik Rajendran (25), later said that Stalin was only asking him to move. Saying he was from a DMK family, the youth backed Stalin’s version saying that it was unintentional.