CHENNAI: State BJP president Nainar Nagenthran on Saturday courted a controversy with a personal remark against Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay, recalling the latter’s recent “father’s missing” comment in the assembly.Ministers and TVK leaders condemned Nagenthran’s remarks, dubbing them “uncivilised.” BJP vice-president Khushbu Sundar also condemned it. However, Nainar Nagenthran rejected the charges and stated that his remark was misrepresented.Speaking at a book launch programme at the BJP headquarters here, Nagenthran was apparently referring to Vijay’s remarks on former chief minister M K Stalin’s defeat in his Kolathur constituency. Nagenthran went on to make a distasteful remark.Health and family welfare minister K G Arunraj hit back at Nagenthran, saying that the TVK govt would respond to such remarks through its actions and not words. School education minister A Rajmohan said the BJP leader’s remark was “uncivilised” and not expected from a person holding a high post.“BJP leader spoke like a third-rate street-corner speaker. It is unfit for his position and dignity. However, we will stick to the decent and civilised politics taught by our leader,” said the minister.BJP leader Khushbu Sundar came down heavy on Nagenthran over his “crude and unacceptable remarks targeting the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s mother.”Referring to PM Narendra Modi’s Nari Shakti vision, she in a X post stressed that degrading women crossed all political boundaries and hits below the belt. “Women are not pawns in political battles,” she said and urged politicians to critique policies, not target women’s dignity.Former BJP state chief and We the Leaders founder K Annamalai also condemned Nagenthran’s remarks. He said they had “crossed the boundaries of political decency” and that making remarks about the family members of a politician was unacceptable.Nagenthran took to social media and posted that his speech was completely devoid of ulterior motives. “To those misrepresenting my words for political gain: I remain deeply committed to the mother, the motherland, and the mother tongue,” he said.
