The Congress has designated Hazeena Syed as the new head of the Tamil Nadu Mahila Congress. Approval for her appointment was granted by the All India Congress Committee president on 20 April 2024, as stated by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal. Sudha Ramakrishnan, who previously served as president, vacated her position due to her candidacy for the Mayiladuthurai constituency in the 2024 parliamentary elections. Consequently, Hazeena Syed, who formerly served as National Secretary of Mahila Congress, was chosen to succeed her in leading the Tamil Nadu Mahila Congress.
Hon'ble Congress President has approved the proposal of the appointment of Smt. M Hazeena Syed as the President of the Pradesh Mahila Congress, Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect. pic.twitter.com/20Aw9iqSK7
— INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) April 20, 2024
On 25 April 2024, the Tamil Nadu Congress organized an event at Sathya Murthi Bhavan in Chennai to welcome and honor the newly appointed Mahila Congress President, Hazeena Syed. The event aimed to highlight and celebrate the contribution of women within the party. However, despite the expectation of a significant presence of female party workers and cadres, male leaders dominated the stage, overshadowing the women and diminishing their visibility.
Glimpses of the welcome of newly appointed @TamilNaduPMC President Smt @SyedHazeena at Sathyamurthy Bhavan, Chennai and a Press Meet in the midst of @INCTamilNadu President Thiru @SPK_TNCC MLA, MLA’s, Office Bearers of TNCC and TNPMC. pic.twitter.com/ZkaOdSFJ8x
— Tamil Nadu Pradesh Mahila Congress (@TamilNaduPMC) April 25, 2024
While the party and its allies advocate for women’s reservation in education and employment as a fundamental right, the actions of the male leaders in seizing the spotlight from female leaders drew criticism from the critics. Allegations surfaced that K Selvaperunthagai, the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress party, arrived early but did not show patience for Hazeena Syed, the guest of honor. Upon her arrival, he hastily introduced her to the press without proper acknowledgment, undermining her significance.
Furthermore, when female party workers attempted to honor Hazeena Syed on stage, they found themselves marginalized by the male party workers who occupied most of the available space. It was reported that Selvaperunthagai even consulted whether Hazeena Syed should be provided with a chair on stage. With no room left on the stage due to the presence of male cadres, female cadres were left with no choice but to sit on the floor near the feet of their male counterparts.
This treatment of women party workers and leaders within the Congress drew condemnation from netizens, who questioned whether this was the appropriate way to treat women within the party. Some even cited the departure of former Congress leaders like Khushbu Sundar and former Vilvancode MLA S Vijayadharani to the BJP as examples of the party’s disregard for its female members.
ஆண் நிர்வாகிகள் காலடியில் பெண் நிர்வாகிகள்… சத்தியமூர்த்தி பவனில் மகளிருக்கு சோதனை..#Chennai #Congress #Pressmeet #SatyamurtyBhavan #Womens #Selvaperunthagai #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/YVMumKBTry
— News Tamil 24×7 | நியூஸ் தமிழ் 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) April 26, 2024
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