Hours after the ruling party’s IT wing member Hari Prabhakaran posted a derogatory tweet on journalists, the AIADMK has expelled him.
In a statement on Monday, the party said, “For behaving in a manner against the party’s principles and goals, for putting a black mark on the party’s dignity, for not following party discipline and for giving a bad name for the party, C Hari Prabhakaran (Joint Secretary, District Information Technology Cell), who belongs to the Kanchipuram East division of the party, is being expelled from all party posts, including as a member of the party. We request all party members to not have any contact with him any longer.”
The notice was signed by O Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palaniswami.
Hari had tweeted saying, “Reporters are not allowed to shoot inside the hospital during the DCM visit - street dogs who shouts for biscuits will be tied on the gate rather allowing them inside.”
Shortly after, Hari deleted his tweet and tweeted an apology stating, “All opinions expressed by me are personal and it is not official party view. I'm not authorised to express party views. I heard few people got hurt due to one of my tweet this morning .I don't have any animosity towards any group of people. My apologies to those who r hurt.”(sic)
This was in reference to media personnel not being allowed inside during Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s visit to the Thoothukudi Government Hospital where victims of Thoothukudi police shootings are recovering.
Journalists then took to twitter to express their displeasure over the language used by the AIADMK member.
First, the representative of a political party tweets calling journalists dogs. Second- it isn't a slipper shot to me or any journalist, it reflects your pathetic state of mind. Third- It just shows how certain people in this party have no respect for the pillars of democracy. https://t.co/bWNTBDeqWE
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) May 28, 2018
This guy belongs to the @AIADMKOfficial IT wing. This is also the guy who instigated the trolling against @dhanyarajendran last year. This tweet is pretty rich coming from a government that gunned down 13 persons in Thoothukudi.
— Rohit TK (@Teekkayy) May 28, 2018
Make him famous. @OfficeOfOPS @CMOTamilNadu pic.twitter.com/90lEgk7aJa
The audacity of AIADMK is just mind blowing. First the police department kills 13 people. Then the state government has no explanation whatsoever for the shooting. Then CM and deputy CM fails to visit Tuticorin. And now they compare journalists to dogs. Slow claps! pic.twitter.com/ZUXvwkl4Gm
— Shilpa Nair (@NairShilpa1308) May 28, 2018
No, it will take atleast 7working days for the .@AIADMKITWINGOFL to wake up to this and react on this. This is a perfect example to show that #ADMK has no control over anyone... pic.twitter.com/fS0OCm34eF
— MUGILAN CHANDRAKUMAR (@Mugilan__C) May 28, 2018
On Sunday, when minister Kadambur Raju had visited the hospital, families of the those injured in the police firing confronted him on the shutting down of the Sterlite copper smelter that has been polluting the town. Visuals of the minister stumbling for an answer had gone viral.
Visiting the victims five days after the brutal police shootings that snatched away the lives of 13 protesters, Panneerselvam was accompanied by Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar who had earlier termed the firings unavoidable.
Speaking to reporters after his visit, Panneerselvam said, "We have all been hurt by this incident related to Sterlite. I express my condolences on behalf of the government. I met all those hurt in the incident and gave assurances. Their health will improve and they will get back to normal," said OPS. "The government will do whatever is necessary to shut down Sterlite permanently."
On the hundredth of the anti-Sterlite agitations on May 22, thousands of protesters marched to the office of Thoothukudi collector’s office and 12 of them were killed by police officers trying to control the crowds. With protesters pelting stones and setting fire to police vehicles, the police clamped down on protesters and the government imposed Section 144 as well as an internet shutdown in the district.