TVK complains to ECI over Stalin’s ‘body-shaming’ remarks on by-poll candidate

Chennai: Acting on DMK President M K Stalin’s “body-shaming remarks” against Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate for the Dharapuram by-poll, P Sathyabama, the ruling party on Saturday approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the former Chief Minister.

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay came to the defence of his party colleague and utilised the opportunity to brand the DMK as an “evil force” yet again by pointing to its continued use of obscene remarks against women.

Vijay also asked people to take a cue from Stalin’s “defamatory” and “uncivilised” remarks and teach a fitting lesson to the DMK chief by defeating the party candidate and electing Sathyabama to the Assembly again.

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Addressing a public meeting in Dharapuram on Friday to seek votes for DMK’s P Suganya, Stalin mocked Sathyabama as ‘pettibama’ (alleging she received money from the TVK) and ‘paltibama’ (do a somersault). “I don’t know how she managed to do a somersault with her body,” Stalin said, in remarks deemed as body-shaming the woman candidate.

Following his speech, the TVK rallied behind Sathyabama with more than a dozen ministers condemning Stalin’s remarks and demanding his apology. In a statement, the chief minister said Stalin’s statement shows that the DMK was anti-democratic and only reinforces people’s belief that obscenity, violence, and perversity are embedded in DMK’s DNA.

“People of Tamil Nadu will certainly give an appropriate response to this ‘evil force’ for making obscene remarks about women,” Vijay said.

Within an hour of Vijay’s statement, TVK General Secretary (Election Management) Aadhav Arjuna met Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik demanding registration of a FIR against Stalin under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act, 1998.

“I state that these sort of women body shaming and vulgar words being thrown at the women of Tamil Nadu to prevent them from taking part in the public life has become a regular habit for the DMK,” Arjuna said, pointing to the Model Code of Conduct that explicitly mandates political parties and candidates from refraining from any language or action repugnant to the honour and dignity of women.

He also demanded that the ECI cancel the star campaigner status accorded to Stalin.