TN BJP chief shows up at 'roughed up' auto driver's house with sweets

Chennai: BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday visited an auto-rickshaw driver, whose alleged manhandling here after he posed a question to her on rising fuel prices triggered a controversy, and enquired about his well-being.

The BJP leader's visit to the residence of Kathir in the city came a day after a video clip purportedly showing the man being shoved aside went viral on the social media, drawing widespread criticism of her.

After the visit, Soundararajan told reporters that she called on the driver as a "wrong depiction" was being made out regarding the incident.

Talking to news agency ANI, the auto driver said, "She came to my house yesterday and we discussed the incident. She said central government is taking steps to decease price."

He said he told the BJP leader that he wanted to ask a question. “I don't know who hurt me, it was dark and after that police took me away. She told media about my drinking habits. That's a personal problem, she said that in public. I don't want to make an issue out of it. I demand decrease in prices,” Kathir added.

On Monday, Soundararjan had asserted the man "was not manhandled as is being claimed by some channels. I did not even see him, but I did answer his question," she had told news agency PTI.

The BJP leader uploaded a video of her visit to the house of Kathir on Twitter in which she is seen having a casual interaction with him enquiring about his well-being and offering sweets to his family members.

Soundararjan, who was accompanied by her aides, also shared a couple of pictures she shot on the occasion.

In the brief video clip which went viral, the man emerged from behind the gathering when Soundararajan was fielding questions from reporters on the sidelines of an event organised in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday in the early hours of Monday.

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He was heard asking her about the rising fuel prices and immediately a party functionary shoved him aside even as Soundararajan answered without turning around to see him.

She had said since the identity of the man was not known and as it was about 12.30 am, party workers as part of security measures took him away.

Later, the auto driver had told reporters that he was "misunderstood," by the BJP workers.

"I only tried to vent my grievance. The petrol price hike is hurting drivers like me more," he had said.

Soundararajan calling on the auto-rickshaw driver comes weeks after DMK chief M K Stalin visited employees of a restaurant in the city after they were assaulted by some party workers.

Then also, a video of the incident had gone viral, with netizens attacking the DMK.