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Tamil Nadu: From Casteist Slurs On Officials, Beating Own Cadres In Public Glare, To Mocking Voters For Freebies, Senior DMK Ministers Continue To Embarrass Chief Minister Stalin
Tami Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
In a video that went viral yesterday (25 January), Milk and Dairy Development minister SM Nasar, was seen throwing a stone at party cadres for delay in bringing chairs.
This is however, not an isolated incident as there have been many instances of senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) stalwarts behaving inappropriately in the recent past.
Last year in March, Transport Minister RS Rajakannappan was shifted to the Backward Classes ministry after a Block Development Officer (BDO) of Ramanathapuram district alleged that Rajakannappan had used casteist slurs against him. The BDO belonged to a Scheduled Caste community.
A few months later, in July, Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran hit a woman with a bundle of papers, when she approached him to seek his help in solving a problem being faced by her. Ramachandran later claimed that he had 'gently nudged' the woman and not hit her.
Soon in September, K Ponmudi, the Minister for Higher Education, courted controversy with his remarks mocking women who were travelling 'Osi' (free) in government buses. Free bus travel for women was announced by the DMK government as an election promise.
In November 2022, Chief Minister MK Stalin's sister Kanimozhi was forced to apologise when DMK leader Saidai Sadiq had called actors and women leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-- Khusbu Sundar, Gowthami, Namitha and Gayathri Raguramm (she was in the party then) as 'items.'
Earlier this month, Municipal Administration Minister, KN Nehru was seen slapping a councillor of the Tiruchirapalli municipal corporation on his head while distributing water pots to women as part of a welfare scheme. The councillor was apparently filling water in the pots very slowly, which irked Nehru.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had earlier expressed his displeasure at such behaviour and asked them to maintain decorum at all times as there are cameras everywhere. However, his warnings seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
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