TVK to approach EC over remarks against women by DMK

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Energy and Law Minister R. Nirmal Kumar on Saturday said that the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) would lodge a complaint with the Election Commission of India over allegedly derogatory remarks against women by DMK leaders during the Dharapuram Assembly bypoll campaign.

Addressing reporters, he accused DMK President M.K. Stalin and his son, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, of using offensive language against political opponents, including a woman candidate.

Nirmal Kumar alleged that the comments reflected the DMK leadership’s growing desperation ahead of the Oct 6 bypoll. He claimed that the party had resorted to personal attacks because it had nothing positive to offer voters.

The minister said the language used by M.K. Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin exposed their “true character” and showed they lacked a clear vision for the future. Describing the remarks as a desperate campaign tactic, he alleged that the two leaders had lost self-control and were attempting to attract attention through inappropriate and derogatory comments.

Nirmal Kumar said that the TVK, which heads the Tamil Nadu government, would approach the Election Commission over the alleged remarks. The party’s proposed complaint would focus on comments that he alleged were derogatory and offensive, including those targeting a woman candidate.

Claiming that the DMK’s political influence was waning, he predicted that voters would deliver a decisive defeat to the party in the Dharapuram bypoll. He described the DMK as a “harmful force” to society.

The minister extended his criticism to the AIADMK, alleging that it was facing political decline under General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami. His remarks targeted opposition parties as campaigning continued ahead of polling.

Responding to allegations of horse-trading raised by rival parties, Nirmal Kumar dismissed the charges as baseless. He characterised them as part of a misinformation campaign driven by fears of electoral defeat. He linked the accusations to what he described as anxiety among rival parties over the outcome while predicting a setback for the opposition. Asked about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the minister reiterated the state government’s opposition to the exercise. His comments brought together the ruling party’s criticism of opposition campaign rhetoric, its rejection of horse-trading allegations, and its position on electoral roll revision ahead of the Oct 6 vote.

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The Hans India