Following The Commune’s story, Gunasekharan Dharmaraja alias Charles Antony, the ex-husband of ‘accomplished poet and writer’ Meena Kandasamy, has released a press statement in which he has alleged that Meena Kandasamy has been playing the victim game and trying to earn social mileage.
In the press release, Gunasekharan has raised questions about her Dalit origins adding that her mother belongs to a forward caste and her father a member of the Other Backward Caste (OBC). This is in contradiction to what the ‘writer-activist’ claims in her website of her maternal grandparents being ‘lower-caste Shudras’ and her father being a nomadic tribe.
“You have claimed to be a Dalit to me as well as to the world. However, as per official records, your mother belongs to the forward community while your father belongs to OBC. How do you then pretend yourself or misrepresent/allow to be misrepresented as a member of the Scheduled Castes? Are these to ensure that you could use their historical injustice as a shield to cover your arm-chair activities?”, Gunasekharan has asked in his press release.
He also says that Meena Kandasamy had been trying to extort money from him and his parents.
“You had been trying to extort money from me for your parents by having asked me to ask money from the Eelam Tamils, ever since I was the Member of Parliament of the Transnational Government of the Tamil Eelam.” Gunasekharan added.
Substantiating The Commune’s report about the ‘writer-activist’ extorting money from her husband, Gunasekharan said “Firstly, it was me who had filed a complaint against your father at Kodungaiyur Police Station on the ground that he attacked me. However, your family requested mine to withdraw the police complaint, and because of the family pressure, I withdrew the same. It was just after I withdrew that you had even filed this complaint. Why hasn’t this fact ever been revealed by you? Doesn’t this amount to selective highlighting and twisting of facts, as you accuse everybody else of?”
“You have claimed to be a feminist, and as an activist, fighting for women rights. However, in the F.I.R. filed against me and in the subsequent affidavits filed before the Court of law, for which the information was handwritten and supplied by you, you have accepted to have paid dowry for the marriage. How do you claim yourself as an activist for women’s rights when you yourself gave dowry for your marriage? When these are pointed out, there is no reason to evade them by exposing your intellectual hysteria. I also proclaim before the public that I neither demand nor support dowry. The claims you have made in the FIR concerning dowry, amongst others, is false. Therefore, by claiming to have given dowry, you are either against the feminist ideals that you claim to stand for, or you are committing perjury by providing false information to the police and to the court of law.”, the press release read.
Adding further, he said “You have constantly been accusing me of having harassed you, through your book, articles and social media, portraying me as an abuser. However, I am willing to release to public the email conversations you had on the day of your separation with me, wherein your lies could be exposed to the public, and the real reasons for your parting away would come out. This has not been done till now in the interests of respecting the rule of law, since it is not appropriate to conduct the trial of case pending in the Court before the media.”
Gunasekharan also noted in his press release that the ‘writer-activist’ has not been cooperative in court proceedings and has failed to appear before the XVIII Metropolitan Magistrate Court-Saidapet. “You have filed a complaint of domestic violence, cruelty and wife beating against me in 2012 under sections 498A & 506(ii) of IPC. However, because of your noncooperation in the case, the charge-sheet was filed only two years later”, he said.
“You have also claimed Rs. 10+5 lakhs, through various sources, to settle both the divorce case and also this case respectively and had also warned me that you would pursue such tactics of delaying the case and consequently harassing me if the money was not paid. You are requested to attend the Court proceedings so as to determine who is at the wrong side of the law.” Gunasekharan said.
Apparently, the ‘writer-activist’ had also accused Prof. M.S.S. Pandian of molestation and a Dalit leader who is also a sitting Member of Parliament of ‘dumping her’ to him.
“You have also accused me of harassment and violence. However, you have never come up with any solid evidence to back your claim against anyone you accused. You are requested to fight for your rights before the Court of law, if you claim yourself to be an activist.” Gunasekharan said adding that he is ready for a open debate before the public and the media incase she is unwilling to fight it out in the court.
“My family, my friends and I have been ardent supporters of progressive rights and have always stood against dowry system and have been supporting women’s emancipation. I am ready to engage in this debate in order to highlight my innocence and expose the hypocrisy of all the accusations levelled against me.”, Gunasekharan said.
“In case you feel defamed by any of the above statements, instead of resorting to social media like Twitter and using your usual tactics of evading them, you are requested to approach the Court of law. However, you are expected to at least attend those proceedings and have respect for the rule of law.” Gunasekharan concluded.