TN BJP State president Tamilisai visits auto driver

Says she was unaware of what was happening behind her at an event on Sunday

September 19, 2018 08:03 am | Updated 09:06 am IST - CHENNAI

BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan. File

BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan. File

BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday visited the house of an auto-rickshaw driver who was pushed away by party cadre in her presence during an event on Sunday night after he raised the issue of the rising fuel prices.

Ms. Soundararajan met P. Kathir, 49, at his house in Saidapet and also distributed sweets to him and his family members. A video showed her and her party cadre speaking with Mr. Kathir, who ushered them inside the house.

In the clip, Mr. Kathir could be heard saying that he had in fact campaigned for the BJP under late leader Vajpayee in one of the elections. “I had campaigned for Vajpayee (as a Prime Ministerial candidate) in this area. I printed notices and distributed them here,” he said.

 

He further told the BJP leader, “I am not your enemy or anything of that sort. I am not a supporter of any party. Since there was a meeting happening anyway, I wanted to ask about the fuel prices.”

Later, Ms. Soundararajan explained her position on Twitter. She claimed that she was completely unaware that such an incident had taken place, and came to know about it after it was “portrayed negatively in the media”.

She said she was attending a folk programme that was arranged to celebrate Vinayaka Chaturthi and the Prime Minister’s birthday.

“I was watching it sitting with all the people including some auto drivers for over 2hrs in a slum at Saidapet. It was 12.30 a.m. I wanted to introduce the folk artists to media having the artist beside me a voice from back asked about petrol? Coincidentally media question was same I took it very sportively with a smile started answering unaware what happened at d back [sic],” she tweeted.

“When I enquired, it was said he was disturbing the situation & he was removed from the event. (Mr. Kathir was) definitely not beaten up,” she tweeted.

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