CHENNAI: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief C Joseph Vijay on Saturday condemned alleged derogatory remarks by DMK president M K Stalin against TVK candidate P Sathyabama during an election campaign in Dharapuram, accusing him of body-shaming and making inappropriate comments about her.
Vijay alleged that Stalin's campaign meeting in Dharapuram on Friday was marked by "slander, misogyny and personal abuse", and said he condemned the remarks "as a son, brother and younger brother of Tamil women".
He said voters in Dharapuram would give a fitting reply when they cast their votes on October 6.
Meanwhile, the TVK urged the Election Commission to cancel DMK president MK Stalin’s star campaigner status and direct the District Returning Officer of Tiruppur district, under which the Dharapuram Assembly constituency falls, to lodge an FIR against him over alleged derogatory and body-shaming remarks against TVK candidate P Sathyabama in his speech on Friday.
Stalin had hit out at Sathyabama, who had earlier belonged to the AIADMK, over her decision to switch parties. According to the allegations, he reportedly used terms such as "petti" (suitcase) and "balti" (somersault), implying that she had changed political loyalties for money.
In a complaint submitted to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, TVK general secretary (election campaign management) and PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna alleged that Stalin made the remarks against Sathyabama while addressing an election campaign meeting in Dharapuram on October 2. He said Stalin ridiculed Sathyabama's physical appearance by questioning how she could perform a somersault with "such a body."
Arjuna alleged that the remarks were unrelated to Sathyabama's political record or candidature and violated the Model Code of Conduct provisions concerning the dignity of women. He also sought an FIR against Stalin under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998.
In his post on X, CM Vijay said the DMK had organised a "defamatory and utterly uncivilised meeting" in Dharapuram under Stalin's leadership.
He alleged that Stalin had "took pleasure in resorting to body-shaming and making highly inappropriate remarks" against Sathyabama.
Vijay also accused the DMK of fostering a "toxic political culture" and alleged that the party's leaders had repeatedly used derogatory language against women.
"The people of Tamil Nadu have long realised that obscenity, malice and vulgarity are intertwined in the DMK's DNA," he said, alleging that the party's leaders spoke obscenely about women even in their presence.
Vijay said voters, particularly in Dharapuram, would not tolerate such behaviour and reiterated his condemnation of what he described as derogatory language targeting women.
(With inputs from PTI)