Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India] March 27, : Former women's wing leader of TVK Ranjana Nachiyar on Friday joined the DMK in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, citing serious concerns over how women were treated in her former party.
Nachiyar said she quit TVK on International Women's Day after TVK chief Vijay made what she called "unacceptable speeches regarding women" from the party's stage and repeatedly failed to meet with party workers.
She told in her complaint to the State Women's Commission details of "character assassination and abuse" directed at her via YouTube videos following her dissent.
"I was in TVK earlier. I quit the party on Women's Day after he (TVK chief Vijay) made some unacceptable speeches regarding women from the stage. He was never ready to meet the cadres. The women in the party were. My complaint to the Commission (State Women's Commission) states that there is continuous character assassination and abuse targeted at me through YouTube videos," she told ANI.
The leader also alleged that all women who left the party were subjected to abusive language and threatening phone calls, and accused Vijay of not taking action to rein in what she described as his party's "virtual warriors."
"All women who quit the party are abused using vulgar words and threatening calls. Vijay has to take steps to cut down this abuse by his virtual warriors. The leader has to take steps to stop this. Vijay has to take accountability to stop abusing women who quit his party. Women members are scared of leaving the party due to this," she said.
"Vijay is doing a political drama to get votes. Women of Tamil Nadu will not choose an irresponsible leader...," she added.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.
The main electoral contest is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which also includes Congress, DMDK, and the VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to make his electoral debut with TVK, attempting to turn the upcoming elections into a three-way contest.
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