Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit tendered an apology to THE WEEK's Lakshmi Subramanian on Wednesday a day after he courted a controversy after patting on the journalist's cheek during a press meet in Chennai. The incident happened when the journalist posed a question to Purohit while he was leaving the hall after the interaction.
"I considered that question to be a good one. Therefore as an act of appreciation for the question that you had posed, I gave a pat on your cheek considering you to be like my granddaughter," Purohit said in a letter to Lakshmi.
“It was done with affection and to express my appreciation for your performance as a journalist, since I was also a member of that profession for about 40 years,” he said.
Purohit said: “I wish to express my regret and my apologies to assuage your sentiments that have been hurt.”
Earlier, governor's action had drawn widespread flak with around 200 journalists from all over the country writing to him demanding an apology for his conduct towards the woman scribe.
DMK leaders M.K. Stalin and M.K Kanimozhi also hit out at Purohit.
"It is not only unfortunate, but unbecoming of a person holding a constitutional post," Stalin said.
Kanimozhi said in a tweet on Tuesday: "Even if the intention is above suspicion, a person who holds a public office has to understand that there is a decorum to it and violating a woman journalist’s personal space does not reflect the dignity or the respect which should be shown to any human being."
