DMK's Raja Apologises for 'Offensive' Jibe at Palaniswami as Emotional CM Says People Will Punish Leader

DMK’s A Raja on Monday apologised for his controversial remarks a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami turned emotional while reacting to the DMK leader’s disparaging remarks.

“In Cuddalore yesterday, I explained that I didn’t speak ill about EPS (K Palaniswami) or his mother. I did so as I’m the eigth child to my mother. After this I came to know through media that the Chief Minister was hurt by my speech, I felt extremely hurt. I apologize from the bottom of my heart for the speech which was taken out of context,” A Raja told reporters in Nilgiris district.

Reacting to Raja’s earlier remarks, CM Palaniswami had said a mother occupied a lofty position in society and anyone who denigrated women would be punished by God.

As Palaniswami tried to speak up in a campaign in north Chennai, the Chief Minister’s voice choked and he turned emotional. “If a person who occupied the position of Chief Minister could be targeted in such an objectionable manner, what would be the position of ordinary people,” he wondered.

”Think, what kind of a situation our women and mothers would face if such people capture power?” he asked. Police have filed a case against Raja for his offensive allegation, an insinuation about Palaniswami’s birth.

Palaniswami was reacting to the offensive statements about him made by DMK MP A Raja. A Raja reportedly said that Stalin’s political career is like that of “a fully matured baby born legitimately” while “EPS (Palaniswami) is like a premature baby born out of an illegitimate relationship”.

He appealed to the people to give people like Raja an ’appropriate punishment’ apparently through ballots. Whether rich or poor, a mother is accorded a very high position in the society and whoever made disparaging remarks against a mother or women would be punished for sure by the God, Palaniswami said.

AIADMK registered a police complaint on Saturday against Raja for his offensive statement about the chief minister’s birth. The Chennai police have filed a case against him.

AIADMK workers and cadres of alliance parties including PMK on Sunday held protest demonstrations in several regions of Tamil Nadu seeking the arrest of Raja.

The AIADMK has asked the Election Commission to ban Mr Raja from campaigning for the Tamil Nadu assembly election. It has also filed a police case against the DMK leader.

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