Chennai: Over 100 journalists protesting outside the TN BJP headquarters demanding action against senior leaders H Raja and S Ve Shekher. (Source: Arun Janardhanan)
Police security was tightened after over 100 journalists protested outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Tamil Nadu demanding action against leaders H Raja and S Ve Shekher for their abusive and insulting remarks against women journalists. A petition is likely to be submitted to the BJP state president in this regard.
Meanwhile, at least 30 journalists, who organised the protest in front of S Ve Shekher’s house in Chennai were arrested for pelting stones at his house.
Senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu S Ve Shekher today said his Facebook post, which courted controversy a day before, was shared “by mistake”. The BJP leader apologised and expressed surprise that people who were sharing screenshots of it did not find it offensive. His post had read: “Media people are the cheap, lowly, ugly, vulgar beings of Tamil Nadu.” Also Read:
BJP leader @SVESHEKHER ‘s apology for a Facebook post he shared on Thursday. He said the post abusing women journalists was shared by mistake, without reading the content. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/lA575igfTD
— Arun Janardhanan (@arunjei) April 20, 2018
Journalists, protesting outside BJP HQ in Tamil Nadu, hold posters of BJP leader Shekhar. (Source: Arun Janardhanan)
Shekher, who spoke to The Indian Express on Thursday, had said he did not read the entire post — credited to “Thirumalai S” — before he shared it. “I will never abuse anyone. I wanted to delete that post, but Facebook has blocked it. I cannot access my account for the next 24 hours,” he had said. Shekhar said Thirumalai, a resident of the US, is a “strong BJP supporter” of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two had met during the BJP leader’s visit to the country. Also Read: BJP leader says FB post abusing journalists was shared ‘by mistake’, offers apology
Journalists, protesting outside BJP HQ in Tamil Nadu. (Source: Arun Janardhanan)
Shekher’s FB post came in the wake of Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s apology to a woman journalist for patting her cheek during a press conference in Chennai. His entire Facebook post had read, “This ugly truth has come out through the complaints raised recently. These are the (using a derogatory word) women who have come out to question the Governor. Media people are the cheap, lowly, ugly, vulgar beings of Tamil Nadu. There are only few exceptions. I respect only them. Otherwise, the whole of TN media is in a regressive path caught in the hands of criminals, rascals, blackmailers.”