Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday said he would not tolerate abusive language or defamatory remarks against women whom he credited with his party’s victory in the state Assembly elections this year.
“Women are the main reason behind my political victory. I will not tolerate any abusive language against women. There can be harsh political criticism, but there should not be any defamatory remarks against women,” he said in his address to the state assembly.
“Do not make personal attacks against others and women. There has been a space of abuses making the rounds in Tamil Nadu off late. The people are watching how some are using double-meaning language against women,” he added.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief, who made his political debut and came to power this year, did not name anyone. However, his remarks came days after senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin made offensive comments about actor Trisha, who is believed to be a close friend of Vijay.
The controversy began in the first week of August when Udhayanidhi was addressing a rally organised to put pressure on the state government over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute, a century-old source of tension between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. As the crowd chanted Trisha’s name, Udhayanidhi made an obscene remark.
The following day, Udhayanidhi was arrested from his residence in Chennai at 10 am and taken to Thanjavur, where he had made the controversial comment. The DMK subsequently staged protests and approached the Madras High Court, after which the former state minister was released.
The incident marked the first major political confrontation in Tamil Nadu since Vijay’s surprise victory in the Assembly elections this summer. The controversy also saw the DMK, which had appeared somewhat weakened after losing allies to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), rally behind the former deputy chief minister.
Bureau Report
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