At a time when the nation is fuming with outrage over atrocities against women, another shocker made news when the Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit patted the cheek of a woman journalist, without her consent, at a press conference. This was at the event held at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai to clear his name from a controversy surrounding a professor arrested in the ‘sex for degrees’ case.
The incident took place when the 78-year-old Governor was about to leave the venue of the crowded press conference on the Professor Nirmala Devi issue at the Raj Bhavan and the woman journalist, Lakshmi Subramaniam asked him questions and the Governor ‘“dismissed a barrage of questions about allegations of sexual misconduct against himself”.
The journalist took to twitter to recall the encounter: “I asked TN Governor Banwarilal Purohit a question as his press conference was ending. He decided to patronisingly — and without consent — pat me on the cheek as a reply”, tweeted Lakshmi Subramanian.
“This, moments after he dismissed a barrage of questions about allegations of sexual misconduct against himself. Unprofessional behaviour - and completely uncalled for to touch a stranger without her consent, especially a woman,” her tweet further read.
The journalist also posted to say that she had washed her face several times but still was not able to get rid of it. “So agitated and angered Mr Governor Banwarilal Purohit. It might be an act of appreciation by you and grandfatherly attitude. But to me you are wrong”, she added in her tweet.
Her post picked up pace and netizens got busy posting their opinions on the embarrassing incident. While there were some vouching for his age and that his intentions were not bad, others found it downright wrong and condemned the governor for his acts on social media sites.
The main opposition party DMK said the incident was “unbecoming” of a person holding a Constitutional post. “Even if the intention is above suspicion, a person who holds a public office has to understand that there is a decorum to it and violating a woman journalist’s personal space does not reflect the dignity or the respect which should be shown to any human being”, tweeted DMK Rajya Sabha MP, Kanimozhi.
“It is not only unfortunate, but unbecoming of a person holding a constitutional post,” DMK Working President MK Stalin said on Twitter.
The TN Governor issued an apology a day after the incident, to Lakshmi Subramaniam in a letter that said: “I considered that question to be a good one. Therefore as an act of appreciation for the question that you had posed, I gave a pat on your cheek considering you to be like my granddaughter. It was done with affection and to express my appreciation for your performance as a journalist, since I was also a member of that profession for about 40 years.”
Accepting the Governor’s apology, the journalist had replied saying: “Your excellency, I have with me your letter dated April 18, 2018, expressing regret at what happened at the press conference in Chennai the previous day. I accept your apology, even though I am not convinced about your contention that you did it to appreciate a question I asked.”
