CHENNAI: Puthiya Tamilagam (PT) founder K Krishnasamy asked a reporter his caste at a press conference that he called for on Tuesday, leading to a heated argument between him and presspersons. Krishnasamy, who lost the Tenkasi seat to DMK’s M Dhanush Kumar, thanked cadre who campaigned for him and said that although it was an electoral loss, he had succeeded in bringing about a social change that he had fought for over 30 years.
“People belonging to the upper castes including Brahmins, Mudaliars and Pillais had come out in large numbers and voted for me. With this, the Puthiya Tamilagam party and I have succeeded in uniting various sections of society and the seeds of social change have been sown,” he said at the press meet.
The situation turned hostile at the end of the press meet when he took questions from reporters.
On being asked what his stance was in the projects rolled out by the BJP, including hydrocarbon exploration and NEET and the reason for his loss in Tenkasi, Krishnaswamy said that the reporter who posed the question had ulterior motives and went on to ask him to what caste he belonged.
“I had called for the press meet to thank voters who have supported me in the elections. The press in Tamil Nadu always has a negative approach,” he said.
Reporters who came together in support had to take on partymen too who blamed the reporter for posing the question. Krishnasamy also went on to attack various news organisations and called reporters ‘dishonest’.
When questioned why he invoked the reporter’s caste when he was only doing his job of asking questions, Krishnasamy said, “The reporter kept repeating the same question. What is wrong in asking one’s caste? Is there no caste among you all?” “You don’t run a media house today without religion, caste and language,” he said.