The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader A Raja to explain his remarks on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami’s mother.
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo sent a report to the ECI regarding the crass remarks made by the DMK leader against the Tamil Nadu CM’s mother. The ECI has asked Raja to give an explanation before 6 PM on March 31.
The poll body will decide on any further action to be taken against A Raja.
There were also state-wide protests and demonstrations staged by the AIADMK’s supporters on Sunday in reaction to the comments. AIADMK workers set fire to an effigy of A Raja and filed an official complaint with the Election Commission, asking that A Raja be immediately suspended from engaging in any sort of election campaigns.
Earlier, the DMK MP had apologised to E Palaniswami. “If my comments really offended him, I wholeheartedly express my apology for it,” Raja said while campaigning in The Nilgiris on Monday. DMK chief MK Stalin had also instructed his party members not to indulge in any form of foul-mouthing and vulgar commentary, alleging that the party’s opponents might ‘distort it in their favour’. Both the AIADMK and the BJP had demanded that the DMK suspend A Raja over the issue.
The elections for the 234-member Tamil Nadu State Assembly will be held in a single phase on April 6. The counting of the votes will be done on May 2.
The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is fighting the elections in a pre-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).
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