Tamil Nadu: DMK Minister Sekar Babu's Daughter Jayakalyani Says She And Partner Facing Life Threat From Father Opposed To Inter-Caste Marriage

A video of Jayakalyani, the daughter of Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister PK Sekar Babu, in which she alleges a threat to her life from her father, has gone viral on social media.

In the video, Jayakalyani said that she and her husband Satish Kumar, were forced to take refuge in Karnataka to protect themselves from continued threats to their family and friends from minister Sekar Babu and his band of associates.

Jayakalyani alleged that Sekar Babu and the Tamil Nadu police are conspiring to slap numerous false cases against Satish Kumar and extradite him to Tamil Nadu. Both have failed to appear in court for related cases and are currently on trial.

Jayakalyani said she continued to face harassment despite being at an advanced stage of her pregnancy. She added that if Chief Minister M.K Stalin assures their safety, they are willing to return to Tamil Nadu and that they have all the documents to prove their innocence.

Jayakalyani, who was in a romantic relationship with Satish Kumar, a family friend and a local DMK functionary, for over seven years, fled her home to marry him in Bengaluru.

A lawyer representing Satish Kumar alleged that Sekar Babu is wielding enormous clout within the local administration and police to intimidate his family and friends. The lawyer also said that police foisted a false case against the physically challenged father of Satish Kumar.

In March this year, Jayalalyani and Satish approached the then Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant seeking protection from her father over threats to her life. She submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner.

"My parents have objected to my love towards Satish Kumar. When I attempted to get married to him a couple of months ago, the police arrested him and took him into custody for two months," she said while addressing the media after meeting the top cop of the city.

"I suspect the role of my father behind this. I am an adult. We both love each other and have got married," Jayakalyani said. "We were given death threats if we return to Tamil Nadu, therefore we have approached the Bengaluru Police Commissioner seeking protection," she added. 

Powerful Member Of The Current DMK Government

Sekar Babu is said to be stridently opposed to marriage as Jayakalyani's partner hails from a different caste (Vanniar).

Sekar Babu, an influential Telugu Naidu leader from North Chennai, is a close confidante of DMK chief and CM Stalin. He and his followers have faced frequent accusations of resorting to strong-arm tactics to establish political control in Harbour and surrounding city areas.

Sekar Babu first shot into prominence for his sycophantic acts glorifying former CM Jayalalitha during his term as a state legislative assembly member representing the ADMK. He later defected to DMK during the run-up to the 2011 assembly elections.

DMK members credit Sekar Babu for the party's strong performance in North Chennai in the 2021 assembly elections. He is said to have bagged the prestigious HR&CE portfolio as he enjoys the complete confidence of DMK first chief, including CM's wife, Durga Stalin. According to HR&CE insiders, Sekar Babu is responsible for making smooth arrangements for the temple visits of CM's wife.

DMK-heir apparent Udayanidhi Stalin recently hailed Sekar Babu's chanting of Hallelujah in a Christmas event organised by DMK as an example of 'Dravida' model rule.