TN BJP leader quits post after controversial video, party forms probe panel

Chennai: Senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, K T Raghavan on Tuesday quit as the party's state general secretary, after a controversial video involving him surfaced in the social media.

Raghavan, who announced his resignation on Twitter, denied his involvement in the video purportedly showing him in an explicit video call with a woman.

He claimed the video was aimed to tarnish his image and also that of the party. Immediately after he learnt about it, he conferred with the BJP's Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai and resigned.

Later, Annamalai announced the constitution of a panel to probe sexual allegations against party members and said Raghavan will prove his "innocence."

The party chief informed that he had ordered the constitution of a committee under BJP state secretary Malarkody to probe the allegations. "Women in our party are held in esteem and they are safe," Annamalai said.

He said he had accepted the resignation of Raghavan from the party post and claimed that a youtuber, also a BJP functionary, who uploaded the sleazy video, had called on him twice pressing for action against Raghavan.

"The youtuber met me twice at my office and claimed he had evidence against Raghavan and demanded action be taken on him,” Annamalai explained. Asking the youtuber to furnish proof, he had said arbitrary action cannot be initiated without incriminating evidence.

"He later called me and sought action. I insisted on submission of evidence," Annamalai said.

"When he said he would release the video, I tersely replied ‘go ahead'," Annamalai said in a statement recalling the conversation the youtuber had with him recently.

The youtuber claimed he had several videos involving many leaders, Annamalai said and added, "this only raises suspicion over his intention, which is highly condemnable."

He expressed hope that Raghavan would legally face the allegations and prove himself .

Referring to the controversial video, Raghavan claimed "it has been released to tarnish my image and that of my party."

"Today, I met the state president Annamalai and consulted him. I resign from all my party responsibilities. I deny the allegations. I will face it legally. Dharma will win!" he said on his Twitter handle.

Also, he said the people of Tamil Nadu and those in the BJP know who he was.

"Even those around me know who I am. I have been working for 30 years without any personal aspirations," he tweeted and added he learnt about this video on social media this morning.

Meanwhile, the youtuber who uploaded the sleazy video call, claimed that it was part of a sting operation.