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Congress MP Jothimani condemns TVK MLA over allegations of harassment of Kallakurichi Collector

"If these reports circulating on social media are true, a proper investigation must be conducted and strict action must be taken," Jothimani said.

Published Nov 10, 2026 | 12:20 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 10, 2026 | 12:20 PM

Tamil Nadu Congress MP Jothimani.
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Congress MP Jothimani on Tuesday, 10 November, condemned allegations that Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA C Arul Vignesh sent inappropriate messages to Kallakurichi District Collector Padmaja and allegedly visited her residence in an intoxicated state, calling for a thorough investigation and strict action if the allegations are established.

In a statement, Jothimani said that reports circulating on social media claimed that the MLA had sent obscene messages to the woman IAS officer and behaved inappropriately with her during a visit to her residence. She also referred to reports that the Collector had lodged a formal complaint regarding the incident.

“If these reports circulating on social media are true, a proper investigation must be conducted and strict action must be taken,” Jothimani said.

She further said that society cannot ignore the mindset of people who reduce a woman’s achievements, intelligence, hard work and administrative capabilities to her gender and physical appearance.

Pointing out that nearly 50 percent of district collectors in Tamil Nadu are women, Jothimani said this reflected Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s confidence in women’s abilities, hard work and administrative skills. However, she added that incidents of this nature could bring disrepute to both the government and the ruling party, and called for stringent action at the initial stage itself.

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 DMK criticises TVK govt

The controversy gained political traction after DMK deputy general secretary and MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi criticised the TVK government in a post on X on November 9.

Referring to reports that the Collector had been assigned a Personal Security Officer (PSO) following the alleged incident, Kanimozhi questioned what protection could be ensured merely through the appointment of a security officer and sought an explanation from Chief Minister Vijay.

Meanwhile, according to information gathered from local sources, the alleged incident is said to have taken place a few days ago. The Collector reportedly brought the matter to the attention of the district Superintendent of Police and senior officials.

(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose)

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