The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, October 29, sought action of the National Commission for Women (NCW) against DMK functionary Saidai Sadiq for his disparaging remarks against women leaders of the BJP. Drawing attention to the issue, BJP state chief K Annamalai said Saidai Sidiq slighted women leaders of the BJP — including Khushbu Sundar, Namitha, Gayathri Raghuram, and Gautami — at a meeting in which he made disparaging remarks against them.
The speech in question called Khushbu and other actor-turned-politicians in the BJP including Gayathri Raghuraman, Namitha and Gautami as “items” (a derogatory way of referring to women). In his speech, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) functionary Saidai Sadiq also made a sexual innuendo about Khushbu while talking about the time when she was a member of the DMK.
In a letter addressed to Rekha Sharma, chairperson of the NCW, Annamalai on Saturday claimed that a state minister was present on the stage when Sadiq made the remarks, and that no efforts were made to stop him from continuing his abusive speech. "We believe that women in our country cannot be deprived of their ambitions to serve society. While the DMK and their allies condone this behaviour, the BJP strongly condemns it and the action against Sadiq will set an example for those who believe they can demean women and get away with it," Annamalai said in the letter.
"With the @arivalayam party leader Thiru @mkstalin avargal refusing to apologise and take action against his party member (who spoke ill of @BJP4TamilNadu women leaders) is evident now. Our women leaders and cadres will organise a massive demonstration against @arivalayam for its third-rate nature of obscene politics in TN against women," the BJP chief said in a tweet. He said the women cadres of the party have filed a complaint with the police and that the party has moved the Madras High Court seeking its intervention, as the police allegedly failed to act on the complaint, he said in another tweet.
Women in our country cannot be deprived of their ambition to serve our society, and the abuse of DMK men will not be tolerated anymore.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 29, 2022
We have written to the @NCWIndia Chairperson, Madam @sharmarekha avargal, for her immediate intervention. pic.twitter.com/LCVnsoFevP
Responding to the speech, Khushbu Sundar tweeted on Thursday, October 27, “When men abuse women,it just shows wat kind of upbringing they have had & the toxic environment they were brought up in.These men insult the womb of a woman.Such men call themselves followers of #Kalaignar. Is this new Dravidian model under H'ble CM @mkstalin rule (sic)?.”
Responding to the tweet, DMK MP and Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi said, “I apologise as a woman and human being for what was said. This can never be tolerated irrespective of whoever did it,of the space it was said or party they adhere to. And I’m able to openly apologise for this because my leader @mkstalin and my party @arivalayam don’t condone this.”