Chennai: Actor-director K Bhagyaraj seems to have got into trouble with several people trolling him on social media for his sweeping remarks denigrating women and a few women groups initiating action to punish him.
Chairperson Ms Vasireddy Padma of the Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission in a strongly-worded statement on Wednesday appealed to her Tamil Nadu counterpart “to take up the issue at all highest levels of government and judiciary and see that appropriate action is initiated” against Bhagyaraj for his anti-women remarks so as to provide “support and strength to Women Commissions and moral support to the women folk in society.”
Speaking at an audio release function in a film studio here on Monday, Bhagyaraj was highly critical of women and had gone to the extent of blaming them for the sex crimes perpetrated by men. His disgusting comments triggered big backlash on social media and now the women organisations have taken up the issue for getting him punished.
Strangely, the chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women when contacted by DC, claimed that the letter from her AP counterpart was in Telugu and she would need some time to get it translated for her. When it was pointed out to her that the AP letter was in English, she said she would then have to see for herself the video of Bhagyaraj's offensive speech before deciding on any action against him.
That too was strange, and sad, that the head of the TN women's commission claimed ignorance of the controversy even though that studio speech had gone viral and was getting widespread trolling from several outraged people, particularly women.
It appears that she was later contacted by Ms P Suganthy, state general secretary of the All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), seeking stern action against Bhagyaraj. “She told me that Deccan Chronicle too has contacted her just a while ago. She said she would take action after seeking the video”.
Suganthy told DC, adding that such an indifferent trend on the part of the government officials vested with responsibility to fiercely guard women's interests, “may lead to more hooliganism and crime against the women”.
“Bhagyaraj had made such a horrid speech targeting women as a whole. He said we women are all the time on the mobile phone speaking in hushed tone, suggesting bad conduct. What about boys and men using mobile phones excessively to watch porn? AIADWA demands quick and stiff action against him”, said Suganthy.
