CHENNAI: DMK president M K Stalin’s remark on TVK’s Dharapuram bypoll candidate P Sathyabama has snowballed into a major political controversy, drawing condemnation from Chief Minister and TVK chief C Joseph Vijay, and even from parties that aren’t allies of the TVK.
The TVK has approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking the cancellation of Stalin’s star campaigner status and directions to the Tiruppur district election officer to register an FIR against him.
Vijay also accused the DMK of promoting “obscenity, violence and perversion”, and alleged it is opposed to democracy and repeatedly made objectionable remarks about women. He said the people of Tamil Nadu would respond to the DMK through the ballot.
Meanwhile, in a complaint submitted to the office of the chief electoral officer, PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna said Stalin ridiculed Sathyabama’s physical appearance by questioning how she could perform a somersault with “such a body”.
Arjuna said the remarks were unrelated to Sathyabama’s political record or candidature and violated the Model Code of Conduct.
Lodging the complaint, Arjuna said after the bye-election is over, the TVK will initiate criminal proceedings against Stalin. Demanding an unconditional apology from Stalin immediately, Arjuna questioned why all other parties remain mere spectators to the matter. In particular, he wondered why AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had not condemned the remark.
CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the remarks are not befitting of Stalin’s stature as former chief minister.
BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said, “I was genuinely very angry. He made those remarks so casually. It makes one wonder how deeply he has ingrained such derogatory thoughts about women.”
Meanwhile, TVK women’s wing functionaries in Madurai submitted petitions with the Thirumangalam DSP office and the Teppakulam police seeking action against Stalin.
On Stalin’s remarks, Minister for Law CTR Nirmal Kumar in Coimbatore said, “The DMK is now heading to the same state as the AIADMK. Unable to seek votes on any achievement, they are trying to get votes by such speeches. In this election, it will be difficult for both parties’ candidates even to get their deposit back.”
