Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K Annamalai has reacted to the resignation tendered by party General Secretary KT Raghavan after a sting video showed a sleazy video call he made to a woman.
Annamalai in his statement acknowledged that YouTuber and journalist Madan Ravichandran had met him and informed him about video evidence against KT Raghavan.
“It is a fact that Mr Madan Ravichandran, the person who released this video met me and had a talk with me in my office on two consecutive days," Annamalai said.
YouTuber Madan Claims to Have Similar Videos of 15 Other BJP Leaders
"When he met me the first time in the party office, he informed me that he has got video evidence of our party office bearers for some wrong deeds and wanted me to take stringent actions against them in the party. I replied to him that unless the allegations are proved, actions cannot be initiated against anybody in the party whereas I also assured him of immediate actions if allegations are proved. Therefore, I told him to show me the video evidence of the allegations in order to analyse and take appropriate actions against those accused but he refused to hand over any of the evidence to me in person,” he added.
The BJP president went on to say that Madan visited him for a second time, but did not hand over the video. “Later, he sent me a message asking me if any actions will be taken against those accused by him.
"As I have already told him twice before, I stood very firmly on my stand that disciplinary actions cannot be taken without knowing the real facts of the accusations. Therefore, I replied to him shortly in the message that ‘You may proceed if you want justice’.”
A screenshot of this message exchange has also gone viral on social media. Madan while releasing the video of KT Raghavan and an unidentified woman also said that he has such tapes of around 15 BJP leaders.
'Madan's Act Purely Unacceptable'
Reacting to this, Annamalai said, “Since Mr Madan Ravichandran claims in his video that video records of more such people will be released in the social media, this makes me question the intention behind his activities and this act of his is purely unacceptable.”
Annamalai went on to say that an inquiry committee will look into all allegations.
In an article on 23 June, Dinamalar had reported that the BJP had allegedly received hundreds of sexual harassment complaints and that TN-in charge CT Ravi had allegedly said the party may have to set up a Vishaka committee. At that time, the party sent a legal notice to the newspaper asking for an apology and compensation of Rs 100 crore.
Meanwhile, KT Raghavan has denied the allegations against him. “I met and consulted with Annamalai. I resign from my party responsibility. I deny the allegations. I will take legal action. Dharma will win,” he said.
(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute)
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