In yet another controversial appointment, the DMK government headed by MK Stalin has appointed a civil servant accused of sexual harassment as an unofficial member of the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
Poo. Ko. Saravanan is an Indian Revenue Service Officer currently serving as Deputy Commissioner at the Customs & Central Excise Department in the Ministry of Finance (as per his LinkedIn bio). He is also an author and has written books and articles.
Saravanan has been accused of grooming, inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment by multiple women. These women had accused Saravanan of nuanced harassment where women do not even realize that they are being pulled under his wing. In an article in Tamil magazine Vikatan which had anecdotes of the women, it was mentioned that Poo. Ko. Saravanan does not respect personal space of women and quite often resorts to touching them or laying hands around their shoulder.
“I contacted him for the first time to ask for directions to join a private company project. He went over and beyond and talked about unnecessary things. He put his hand on my shoulder as soon as I saw him in person. I immediately took off hand and told him that I was not comfortable. Immediately he asked, ‘Have you ever been abused?’ When I said ‘yes’, he said, ‘That’s why you feel that way.’ He kept touching me from time to time throughout the meeting.” one of the victims was quoted saying in the report in Vikatan.
Many others alleged that he inquires about the boyfriends/husbands of the women he encounters and also goes to the extent of inquiring about their sex life. He had once allegedly sent unsolicited photographs of private parts to a woman. When his harassment had come to light, he had reportedly threatened many women to delete the his chats with them and screenshots of the deleted chatbox as proof.
If one were to go through the profile of Saravanan, it emerges that he is an ideologue of rabid anti-Hindu and anti-Brahmin demagogue E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (known as Periyar by his followers). He is also a supporter of the DMK.
Now, this person has been appointed as a member of a body involved in drafting policies for school children.
In this same body is Suba Veerapandian, another controversial character known for his anti-Hindu/anti-Brahmin vitriol. Suba Veerapandian spreads the principles of the separatist and demagogic Dravidian ideology. He incites hatred against the Tamizh Brahmin community through his speeches.
Earlier, the DMK government had appointed a Christian priest named Father Mariasusai as a member of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission.
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