A goof-up by the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gone viral on social media after the party used a photo of Congress MP Karti Chidambaram's wife, doctor and Bharatanatyam dancer Srinidhi Chidambaram, in a promotional tweet. The photo, taken from a clip originally aired in 2010, was used in the BJP’s poll promo with the caption, “Lotus to bloom. Tamil Nadu to grow. Vote for lotus." After this was pointed out by many users on social media and it quickly went viral, the BJP deleted the photo from its social media accounts.
Srinidhi, who is also the daughter-in-law of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, quickly hit out at the BJP and said it was "ridiculous" that the party had used her image for their propaganda. She said, “Ridiculous that the @bjp4india has used my image for their propaganda. தமிழகத்தில் தாமரை என்றும் மலராது. (Lotus will never bloom in Tamil Nadu @BJP4India (sic).”
Faux pas by Tamil Nadu BJP!
— Shilpa Nair (@NairShilpa1308) March 30, 2021
They have used a portion of Bharatanatyam performed by Srinidhi Karti Chidambaram in their election promo.
She had performed this 10 years back for the "Semmozhi" song penned by M Karunanidhi and composed by AR Rahman. #TamilNaduElections pic.twitter.com/dlEsNFR8rx
Ridiculous that the @bjp4india has used my image for their propaganda. தமிழகத்தில் தாமரை என்றும் மலராது. @BJP4India
— srinidhi chidambaram (@srinidhichid) March 30, 2021
The Congress also tweeted that the image was posted without her permission. The Congress's Tamil Nadu unit tweeted: "Dear @BJP4TamilNadu, we understand 'consent' is a difficult concept for you to understand, but you cannot use Srinidhi Karti Chidambaram's image without her permission. All you've done is to prove that your campaign is full of lies and propaganda (sic)."
Dear @BJP4TamilNadu, we understand 'consent' is a difficult concept for you to understand, but you cannot use Mrs Srinidhi Karti Chidambaram's image without her permission. All you've done is prove that your campaign is full of lies & propaganda. pic.twitter.com/CTYSK9S9Qw
— Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (@INCTamilNadu) March 30, 2021
Srinidhi had performed Bharatanatyam to the Semmozhi ‘Tamil Anthem’ song written by DMK's late President M Karunanidhi for the World Tamil Conference held in 2010. The BJP had taken a clip from that dance performance for its poll campaign.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi who visited Tamil Nadu on Tuesday campaigned for NDA candidates at Dharapuram and launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the DMK as "dynastic, corrupt and anti-women" parties. During the address, he said that the DMK and Congress have a culture of insulting women and will continue to do the same even once they come to power. He also mentioned the remarks of DMK leaders against women in recent days and the assault on Jayalalithaa in the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1989.