Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday apologised to THE WEEK’s reporter for cheek-stroking her at a press conference in Chennai. The incident had sparked an outrage after the journalist, Lakshmi Subramanian, said she felt agitated and angered over the governor's action.
BJP’s Mahila Morcha national president Vijaya Rahatkar said that she doesn’t want to take a stand on the issue. Said Rahatkar to THE WEEK, “But, we need to understand the emotions of different people and react. Ours is a culture where family relationships are given importance. Whether it is the relationship between a father and daughter, or a grandfather and granddaughter, every relationship is sacred and has to be respected. Now that the governor has apologised, the issue is closed. Your reporter, who has accepted it, should move on.”
The journalist who accepted Purohit’s apology said she was not convinced with his argument.
Purohit had said in his letter to the reporter, “... As an act of appreciation for the question you had posed, I gave a pat on your cheek considering you to be like my granddaughter.”
Said the journalist in her response, “I accept your apology, even though I am not convinced about your contention that you did it to appreciate the question I asked.”
BJP’s national general secretary H. Raja said the governor’s intentions should not be questioned. “I feel the governor did not intend to do anything bad. He just patted your reporter and, within seconds, he moved away from her. You see the video, it is clear in it,” said Raja to THE WEEK. He said the reporter is well within her rights to feel bad about it. “But, now that the governor has apologised, the matter should be closed and not be dragged further.”
Veteran BJP leader, columnist and Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Punj said the governor broke the protocol but at the same time the journalist over-reacted. Said Punj to THE WEEK, “On all official functions, formality should be maintained. The governor broke the protocol at the press conference. But there was definitely an over-reaction on the part of the journalist.” Punj is a former journalist, and he specialises in writing about Indian economy.
Purohit, 78, was previously the governor of Assam. First a Congress leader and then a BJP leader, Purohit quit and joined the Congress twice. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Nagpur in 1984 and 1989 on Congress ticket, and in 1996 on BJP ticket.
In 1989, Purohit joined the BJP, but lost in the Lok Sabha election. In 1999, he quit the BJP to join the Congress, owing to problems he had while dealing with late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan. But his political career went for a toss, and Purohit had to form his own party—Vidarbha Rajya Party—in 2004, with the intention of forming a separate Vidarbha state in eastern Maharashtra. The party fought the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. But it failed miserably. In 2009, Purohit joined the BJP, only to be defeated by former Union minister and Congress leader Vilas Muttemwar.
Said Muttemwar to THE WEEK, “Though I have fought election against Purohit and defeated him, I always saw him as a respectable figure. He is still popular in Nagpur area and people like him a lot. He has never behaved badly with anyone. It was a surprise for us to hear about the recent developments in Tamil Nadu.”
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said he knows Purohit well. Said Chavan to THE WEEK, “He is from Maharashtra like me. Until now, I was not aware of what has happened to your reporter. So I don’t want to certify anyone as good or bad.”