Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay has criticised DMK chief and former Chief Minister MK Stalin over his remarks about TVK candidate Sathyabhama during a campaign meeting in Dharapuram, triggering a political row ahead of the Assembly by-election.
Sathyabhama had won the Dharapuram Assembly seat as an AIADMK candidate in the recent Assembly election.
Stalin referred to Sathyabhama as “Somersault Bhama” while questioning her switch from the AIADMK to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). He further accused the DMK of repeatedly making objectionable remarks about women and said voters would respond to the comments. “These evil forces, who are experts at speaking obscenely about women, and that too, with women seated right beside them, will receive a fitting retort from the people of Tamil Nadu and the people of the Dharapuram constituency,” he said. Earlier reporting noted: MK Stalin had targeted TVK Dharapuram candidate Sathyabhama, calling her “Somersault Bhama”, inviting criticism from the ruling party MK Stalin had targeted TVK Dharapuram candidate Sathyabhama, calling her “Somersault Bhama”, inviting criticism from the ruling party Earlier reporting noted: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay has hit out at DMK chief and former Chief Minister MK Stalin over his comments on the TVK candidate for the Dharapuram bypoll. Earlier reporting noted: Stalin had targeted TVK candidate Sathyabhama, calling her “Somersault Bhama” and invited criticism from the ruling party, which accused the former Chief Minister of body-shaming the woman Dalit candidate and demanded an apology.
The remarks drew sharp criticism from the ruling party, which accused the DMK leader of body-shaming the woman Dalit candidate and demanded an apology. Concluding his statement, Vijay added: “As the son, brother, and younger sibling of Tamil Nadu’s women, I convey my strongest condemnation to this evil force, the DMK, which continues to speak obscenely about women. She resigned from the seat weeks later and joined the TVK. She is now contesting the by-election as the ruling party’s candidate. TVK leader and Health Minister Arun Raj also accused Stalin of body-shaming Sathyabhama, saying the remark insulted women and the Dalit community. The party has called on the DMK chief to apologise for his comments. The TVK has denied allegations of horse-trading, maintaining that elected legislators have the right to resign and join another party. It has argued that such a move does not, by itself, attract disqualification under the anti-defection law.
