The deputy spokesperson of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) R Vikraman, who recently shot to fame for taking ‘progressive’ positions in the reality show Bigg Boss Tamil season-6, has been accused of inflicting casteist, financial and misogynist abuse on a Dalit woman lawyer. The lawyer who hails from Tamil Nadu has written to VCK party president Thol Thirumavalavan alleging that Vikraman caused her financial and emotional damage over a prolonged period by exploiting her lowered caste vulnerabilities in a romantic relationship. In a letter dated April 19, she has asked the leadership of the anti-caste and Ambedkarite party to constitute a committee to probe the allegations, and take disciplinary action against Vikraman. After the allegations first surfaced, Vikraman returned most of the money he took from the complainant, and has since refused to react to the allegations.
The 34-year-old journalist-turned-politician Vikraman was a participant in Bigg Boss Tamil season-6, and was widely discussed for his Periyarist/Ambedkarite statements. His politics of social justice was hailed as feminist and anti-caste. There was also a controversy when Hotstar, the OTT platform in charge of the 24x7 streaming of the events of Bigg Boss, edited out portions of the show where he read a letter to Dr BR Ambedkar. The woman lawyer has alleged that the ideas he projected on the show were a result of her tutoring and accused him of intellectual theft. Vikraman is a non-Dalit from an intermediary caste.
In her petition to the party, the woman has alleged that he inflicted on her “casteist and mental abuse” and also cheated her of around Rs 13 lakh. She also alleged that he made critical comments about her education and work that were casteist in nature. She also alleged that he was in other similar exploitative relationships.
“A person whose actions are against the Ambedkarite Periyarist and Marxist ideologies and the fundamental principles of VCK should not be allowed to continue in the party. It is our democratic responsibility, too. You have expressed on various occasions that neither you as the leader nor your party will tolerate any crime against women. Therefore, I request you to set up an internal party investigation committee, properly investigate and take disciplinary action against R Vikraman, who is involved in casteist, patriarchal, and financial fraud while being the deputy spokesperson of this party and is misusing his position and power against the principles of the party,” she said in the letter and added that she will submit corroborative evidence in support of her allegations.
The complainant is a notable anti-caste, Ambedkarite lawyer, Dalit rights activist, who works at the Supreme Court of India. The party is yet to constitute an inquiry committee to probe the matter. When TNM reached out to Vikraman to get a reaction, he said that he was not willing to respond to the allegations in an unsigned letter.