Panel summons K Bhagyaraj for misogynistic comment

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women has issued notice to actor and director K. Bhagyaraj following his alleged remarks on sexual assault of women, concerning the Pollachi rape case.

According to sources, the Tamil Nadu Commission for Women has issued summons for the actor-director to appear before it. The next course of action will be decided after the hearing, sources said.

Earlier this week, Andhra Pradesh State Women’s Commission’s chairperson Vasireddy Padma wrote to the chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women to take up the issue at the “highest levels of government and judiciary and see that appropriate action is initiated against Bhagyaraj”.

Recently, while talking to the media at a promotional event of a film ‘Karuthukalai Pathivu Sei’, Bhagyaraj had stated that women invite men to sexually assault them and give them space to do such mistakes.

He went on to ask why men are always blamed for assaults, while women encourage them to do so, allegedly in connection with the Pollachi sexual assault case. His misogynistic comments received heavy criticism and opposition from the public and several women organisations had demanded action against him for the comments.

Movie ‘Karuthukalai Pathivu Sei’ is said to be inspired by the Pollachi sexual assault and extortion case that shook Tamil Nadu in February this year. Speaking about the Pollachi incident, he said, “The boys are not the only ones responsible. You have a weakness, and he has correctly used it and that is a very big mistake.”