Dharapuram, Oct 3:
DMK president M.K. Stalin’s remarks about TVK candidate P Sathyabama during his election campaign in Dharapuram have triggered a political controversy, with several leaders condemning what they described as personal and body-shaming comments against the woman candidate.
Addressing a campaign meeting in Dharapuram on Friday in support of DMK candidate Suganya, Stalin referred to Sathyabama as “Petti Bama” and “Balti Bama”, while questioning how she managed to perform a somersault “with that body”. The remarks were made in the context of allegations against Sathyabama, who had earlier been associated with the AIADMK before joining the TVK and being fielded in the bypoll. The comments subsequently drew sharp criticism from the TVK.
Health and Family Welfare Minister K G Arunraj condemned Stalin’s remarks, accusing him of using derogatory language and making fun of Sathyabama’s physical appearance. In a post on X, Arunraj said such remarks were strongly condemnable and claimed they reflected the pressure Stalin was facing in the election. He also alleged that the remarks showed the attitude of Stalin and his son towards women.
Minister K A Sengottaiyan also criticised Stalin, questioning whether an election campaign should involve mocking women. He alleged that Stalin had made comments ridiculing a woman candidate and demanded an apology from the DMK leader. Sengottaiyan described the remarks as inappropriate for an election campaign and said women should not be subjected to such comments.
Vanni Arasu, another TVK minister, cited a law introduced during the tenure of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in 1998 to deal with harassment of women in public places. Referring to the legislation, he questioned whether Stalin’s remarks were consistent with the principles behind the law introduced by his father. The TVK leadership, including several ministers and functionaries, has called for Stalin to apologise.
The controversy also drew a response from PMK MLA and legislative party leader Soumya Anbumani. She said political campaign speeches should not contain remarks intended to insult individuals and stressed that nobody, irrespective of who they are, should be subjected to body shaming. She noted that Stalin had made several other points in his speech, but said the controversial remark at the end had overshadowed those points and changed the overall impression of his speech.
Soumya said political leaders should maintain restraint while campaigning and avoid personal attacks. Her comments came amid an increasingly intense campaign for the Dharapuram bypoll, where the contest between the DMK and TVK has become a focal point of the ongoing political battle in Tamil Nadu.