“Those remarks are not only objectionable and untrue, but also scurrilous. They have been expressed with the sole intention to defame and harass our party president. It is also pertinent to state that the abusive words used by Radha Ravi are also in blatant violation of electoral norms,” Makkal Needhi Maiam said in its complaint dated March 29.

A video of Radha Ravi campaigning in Coimbatore South constituency supporting BJP candidate Vanathi Srinivasan on March 22, was widely circulated on social media in which the actor was seen commenting on Kamal.

In his speech, Radha Ravi said that he agreed to campaign for Vanathi Srinivasan to warn the people about Kamal Haasan. “How will Kamal, who could not protect three women, protect the people,” he had asked during the campaign.

Quoting the model code, the MNM, in its complaint, said that defaming Kamal was a deliberate act and clear violation of norms. “And we are surprised how the observer has not taken any action against such violation yet,” the complaint added. Interestingly, Radha Ravi, son of Dravidian ideologue MR Radha, joined the BJP in 2019 after he was suspended by DMK for his vile and sexist remarks against actor Nayanthara. He immediately crossed to the AIADMK, but only to join the BJP in 2019. In July 2020, he was made BJP’s state executive committee member by party state president L Murugan.