Dairy minister lands in soup with Congress senior

Virudhunagar: The irrepressible dairy minister K. T. Rajendra Balaji appears to have landed himself in trouble with Congress senior Manickam Tagore, the Virudhunagar MP, threatening to sue him for making a hugely derogatory speech targeting him. The minister had called him an 'ungrateful dog' and told his audience at Sattur (Virudhunagar district) that they should shoot the 'pig' with rubber bullets if he came before them finally.

Poking fun at the Congress, the minister said the party was in a dilemma over choice of candidate for the Nanguneri Assembly by-election. "I think they will most probably choose someone from Delhi", said Balaji before turning his attention to Tagore.

Accusing the MP of not showing his face in the constituency after
getting elected to the Lok Sabha, he called him an 'ungrateful dog' and a pig that must be shot with rubber bullets if he makes appearance now.

The video of the minister abusing Tagore in foul language has gone viral, with many on social media expressing shock and dismay. The Virudhunagar (east) district Congress committee has filed a complaint with the district SP seeking action against Rajendra Balaji. "He spoke in a language and manner that does not behove a minister. I shall consult the lawyers on my next course of action", the Congress MP told the media.

Tagore has also expressed distress at being thus attacked by the state minister, seeing the offensive as amounting to hate speech and criminal intimidation, besides violating the privileges of an MP from rendering public duties.