Following disparaging remarks made by actor and politician Radha Ravi at a public meeting recently, disability groups protested on Saturday near his residence on Poes Road, demanding an apology from him.
He also came in for censure from leaders of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Mr. Radha Ravi re-joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam earlier last week and later, at a public meeting, compared politicians of rival parties to children with disabilities.
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Condemning his speech and actions as insensitive, members of the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) said that this was not the first time that they had been misrepresented and insulted.
Misrepresentations continue
“Many politicians refer to disabilities when they speak of their rivals at public meetings or speeches. The misrepresentation of disabled persons in cinema too keeps continuing despite our opposition and if public figures indulge in this, there will be no change in the mindset of people and inclusion becomes even more challenging,” said B. Radhakrishnan, State vice-president of the TARATDAC.
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He said that despite a group of over 100 of them protesting outside Mr. Radha Ravi’s residence, he did not step out and offer them an apology.
A case was filed by a disability rights activist at the Teynampet police station.
Condemning Mr. Radha Ravi’s speech, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi said that he had to stop talking in such a derogatory and mocking fashion about the disabled, and that the cadre owing allegiance to DMK leader M. Karunanidhi would not accept this.
“Having a physical disability is only a small barrier but being mentally weak was a bigger obstacle,” she said on her Facebook page, going on to add: “The disabled have successfully fought and broken such barriers.”