A day after H Raja posted a despicable tweet taking digs at DMK’s Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, the National General Secretary of the BJP had reacted saying that it does not represent the BJP’s view. Quoting H Raja's tweet to Twitter, he wrote, “Such remarks do not represent BJP's view neither they are in line with our party's culture.”
Earlier, BJP State President Tamilisai Soundararajan had said, “It is painful when the personal lives of women in public life are criticised, whichever party them may belong to.” She had also retweeted Rao’s tweet on Thursday.
On Wednesday, BJP National Secretary H Raja attacked Kanimozhi on Twitter saying, “Would journalists question the leader who made his illegitimate child, from an illegitimate relationship, a Rajya Sabha MP, just like they questioned the Governor? Memories of Chidambaram Udayakumar, Anna Nagar Ramesh, Perambalur Sadiq Basha would haunt them.”
Raja’s tweet was in response to Kanimozhi condemning the Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit for patting a woman journalist on the cheek instead of answering her question after a press conference. Ironically, a large part of the press conference involved the Governor denying his involvement in a sex scandal.
Coming to the journalist’s defence, Kanimozhi said, “Even if the intention is above suspicion, a person who holds a public office has to understand that there is a decorum to it and violating a woman journalist’s personal space does not reflect the dignity or the respect which should be shown to any human being.”
Speaking to TNM at the time, Kanimozhi had said, “It is beneath me to respond to the statement made by BJP's H Raja. But it exposes their mindset.”
Raja’s tweet led to widespread protests and demonstrations by the DMK across the state. Effigies of the BJP leader were beaten up and burnt across the state while slogans rang in the air calling for his arrest; in some places, his photos and posters were hit with slippers.