Senior DMK leader A Raja, in his reply to a notice by the Election Commission of India (ECI), has denied making derogatory remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami during campaigning for the state assembly elections.
In his response to the ECI on Wednesday, A Raja said his comments were taken “out of context and blown out of proportion for political mileage”.
The ECI had issued a show-cause notice to the DMK MP over his distasteful comments against Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and his mother, and had asked him respond by 6 PM of March 31.
The senior DMK leader maintained that he did not make any remark against EPS which is violative of the Model Code of Conduct or is obscene.
“I deny that I made any derogatory or defamatory speeches against the Hon’ble Chief Minister and I made any speech which would demean or defame women or motherhood,” A Raja told the ECI.
A Raja claimed that despite his explanation at a press conference, the CM quoted his speech out of context and became emotional in a public meeting in Chennai.
Simile an accepted norm in Tamil oratory, says A Raja
Seeking a copy of the complaint against him and the text of his alleged speech, A Raja said, “I request the Commission to get a copy and consider the full text of my entire speech and I am hopeful if it is done it can be discerned that the allegations made now are taken out of context and blown out of proportion to have political mileage.”
A Raja told the EC that simile is an accepted norm in Tamil oratory. “In my speech, the evolution of the political heights and their means of MK Stalin and Edappadi Palaniswami was compared by me through a simili as new born babies for easy understanding of the common mass. This was in response to the repeated allegations of the CM that our leader MK Stalin has never worked hard to become the leader (sic),” A Raja told the Election Commission.
In Tamil oratory, simili is a well-accepted norm. In my speech, evolution of the political heights and their means of MK Stalin and Edappadi Palanisamy were compared by me through a simili as new born babies for the easy understanding of the common mass: DMK leader A Raja to EC pic.twitter.com/BZ9XdW0mfI
— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2021
“If the full text is considered by the committee, I am hopeful that it will wipe out the insult and consequent injury inflicted on me,” the DMK leader said.
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