Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) spokesperson Sivaji Krishnamurthy who has triggered controversies before for his crass comments is once again in the news. This time, a video of Krishnamurthy making offensive and sexist remarks about actor and BJP politician Khushbu Sundar and actor Prabhu during a recent speech has surfaced. Reacting strongly to the speech, Khushbu condemned the remarks made by Krishnamurthy and demanded immediate action. By Sunday, June 18 evening, the DMK dismissed Krishnamurthy from the party and revoked his primary party membership.
In the video, Krishnamurthy can be seen making insinuating remarks about Khushbu’s past relationships. Kirhsnamurthy does not spare even his wife and daughter from his sexist barrage. Making dehumanising comments about their looks, he refers to his wife as a “super figure”. A case has also been registered against Krishnamurthy under IPC sections 153 (intent to cause riot), 294(b) (obscenity), 504 (provocative speech), 505(1)(b) and 505(2) of IPC (spreading rumour).
Reacting to Sivaji’s comments, Khusbhu said, “No man has the right to speak offensively of any woman. We have not given you that right. We have not given that right to our fathers or husbands even, certainly not to a random man”. She also added, “Those who speak offensively to women are insulting their mother’s parenting. For the DMK, their mother, father, everything is Kalaignar [M Karunanidhi]. When someone in the DMK speaks like this, you are insulting a leader like Kalaignar.”
Sources told TNM that actor Prabhu also reached out to the DMK expressing his displeasure.
This is neither the first time Krishnamurthy has made controversial statements nor the first time that Khushbu has been targeted by DMK leaders with sexist comments.
Krishnamurthy was suspended from the party earlier in January 2023 for using abusive and threatening language against the state’s Governor RN Ravi. At the time, a press release from senior DMK leader Duraimurugan said that Krishnamurthy had been suspended for “violating party discipline and bringing disrepute to the party.”
Krishnamurthy made the controversial remarks against the Governor while criticising him for deviating from the government-prepared text in his customary address to the Assembly. Krishnamurthy had said, “If you don't read out the speech given by the government, then go to Kashmir and we will send terrorists so that they gun you down. If the Governor refuses to utter the name of Ambedkar in his speech in the Assembly, do I not have the right to assault him?"
Earlier in October last year, Saidai Sadiq, a DMK functionary, made sexist comments about BJP women leaders, drawing widespread criticism. Saidai had referred to 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, Saidai Sadiq also made a sexual innuendo about Khushbu while talking about the days when she was a member of the DMK.
The controversy at the time led to a formal apology from DMK’s deputy general secretary and women’s wing president, MP Kanimozhi. This time, the DMK released a statement saying that Krishnamurthy’s primary party membership has been revoked and that he has been dismissed.
''குஷ்புவை சீண்டி பார்க்காதீங்க, நான் திருப்பி அடிச்சா தாங்க மாட்டீங்க''
— BBC News Tamil (@bbctamil) June 18, 2023
குஷ்பு குறித்து அவதூறாகப் பேசிய பேச்சாளர் கிருஷ்ண மூர்த்தி தற்போது திமுகவில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டார். pic.twitter.com/sqmHyOuXfQ