Chennai: Bharatiya Janata Party Tamil Nadu unit president K. Annamalai has expelled senior party state leader Gayathri Raghuraman from the party for six months. This happenned following a controversial telephone call between party functionaries Surya Siva and Daisy Saran in which Raghuraman joined hands in support of Saran, a party woman leader.
Annamalai in a statement to the media said, “Gayathri Raghuraman has been removed from the party post for six months for continuously violating the party discipline and acting against the party’s interest to malign the party image.”
He asked the party functionaries and cadres not to have any party-related communication with her during this period.
Gayathri reacted sharply and in a tweet said, “I accept. But people who love me will talk to me. No one can stop that. I will work for the nation with suspension.”
The incident leading to the expulsion of Gayathri took place a few days ago in which the BJP, OBC morcha and minority morcha leaders came out against each other. However the conversation between OBC morcha state president Surya Siva and Minority morcha state president Daisy Saran was leaked on Monday night.
The conversation was ugly in which Surya was using filthy language against Saran.
Woman functionaries of the party were up in arms against Surya and took up the matter with Annamalai and BJP Mahila Morcha national president, Vanathi Sreenivasan.
However, Annamalai remained silent and Vanathi is yet to take action against Surya.
Gayathri Raghuraman stepped in and on social media she slammed Surya Siva, likened him to a ‘hyena’ and demanded action against him.
Gayathri in a tweet said, “He (Annamalai) promised to sever the tongues of those who speak ill against women. In such circumstances is it right to attack the woman functionary of the same party? It is a blunder to give state-level postings to these hyenas.”
The action against Raghuraman has had reverberations in the party with several women leaders in private expressing anguish at the action against her.
A woman leader of the BJP while speaking to IANS said, “This is unheard of. Annamalai thinks that he can get away with anything but this is not the manner in which a party should be managed. BJP women leaders are uncomfortable and we will complain to party national president Naddaji regarding this. Gayathri has not done any wrong and has intervened against the filthy language used by OBC Morcha leader Surya against Daisy Saran.”
–IANS
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