CHENNAI: Charges related to harassing women online surfaced against DMK functionary Rajiv Gandhi on Saturday, a day after he was removed from the post of secretary of the party’s students wing and posted as deputy propaganda secretary of the party.
Rajiv allegedly sent lewd text messages to a young woman via a social media platform despite the woman repeatedly emphasising that she looked at him as a brother. Leaked screenshots of the purported messages were shared by many on the social media platform X on Saturday
Sources in the DMK confirmed there were oral complaints against Rajiv. “We do not know the number of women he has texted. But he seems to have texted a lot of them and it was flagged to the higher-ups. We do not know whether the new posting was a disciplinary action or it was just an organisational transfer,” a source privy to the developments told TNIE.
Denying the allegations, Rajiv, in a post on X, said the screenshots were generated using AI to target him.
A native of Ramanathapuram district, Rajiv was aspiring to contest from Coimbatore South constituency in the upcoming assembly election and had filed his application of interest. Previously with Naam Tamilar Katchi, he joined DMK in 2021 after the party came to power.
He was immediately given the post of media relations wing deputy secretary and a year later, in 2022, was appointed as president of the students wing. He was elevated in March 2025 as the secretary of the students wing.