TVK candidate cries, 'sweet bro' consoles: DMK accuses Vijay of staging drama

DMK leader Kanimozhi on Thursday accused Chief Minister Vijay and his party, TVK, of staging a "drama" during a campaign event in Dharapuram, where party candidate P Sathyabama broke into tears during her speech and Vijay hugged and consoled her.Kanimozhi alleged that the emotional moment was scripted to win public sympathy ahead of the upcoming bypoll.“ Minister Rajkumar gets a phone call, picks it up and speaks. Then he says something into Sathyabama’s ear.

Within seconds, Sathyabama, who was speaking well, begins to cry, saying she is under stress as a woman. Then sweet bro (CM Vijay) hugs and consoles her. Immediately, the crowd starts cheering. Be it on stage or during a political campaign, Vijay is doing drama like this,” Kanimozhi alleged. The remarks drew a sharp response from Tamil Nadu Minister for School Education A Rajmohan, who called the charge "sheer malice" and strongly criticised Kanimozhi.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Chennai to mark actor Sivaji Ganesan's 99th birth anniversary, Rajmohan said he had only asked Sathyabama to finish her speech quickly."

This is sheer malice. I am shocked by what akka (elder sister) Kanimozhi said. I register my strongest condemnation," he said.Rajmohan said such requests were routine at public meetings, especially when schedules were tight. Recalling his earlier experience as a professional stage anchor, he said even senior figures such as Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan had been asked to keep their speeches short during the centenary celebrations of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi."

I swear on my mother, these allegations are completely baseless and wild. The organisers only said, 'Make it fast,' because the Chief Minister had been travelling for more than eight hours in the scorching heat, completely drenched in sweat, while large crowds of people had been waiting under the sun for hours. Asking a speaker to make it quick under such circumstances is routine, not a political drama," Rajmohan said.He also said that while coordinating high-profile political events for former Chief Minister MK Stalin and former deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, stage organisers regularly sent prompts to manage time."

It is a basic reality of public events. For a senior leader to twist a woman's tears and peddle negativity for political mileage is unacceptable," he added.At a separate tribute event for Sivaji Ganesan's 99th birth anniversary, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore also criticised the DMK for calling others' campaigns "drama". Rejecting the allegations as false, he said, "Let them say whatever they want.

When they go to the people, it is campaigning, but when others reach out to the public, it becomes a drama? Where is the fairness in that? They are simply speaking lies, and responding seriously to such talk is just wasting your time and mine."- Ends