Chennai: A woman MLA belonging to Congress has accused the party’s Tamil Nadu unit chief E V K S Elangovan of verbally harassing her, a charge denied by him.
State Mahila Congress President and legislator S Vijayadharani has alleged “harassment, use of filthy, abusive, and defamatory language” by Elangovan against her and sought his removal.
However, dismissing the allegation, Elangovan said he has never used intemperate language against anyone.
The Tamil Nadu state Congress chief had earlier courted trouble for his alleged remarks against Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a related development, Mahila Congress functionaries (her supporters) R Santha Sreni and M Manasa filed a complaint with police today against Elangovan for “abusing by filthy language” and three other partymen for “use of abusive language and assault.”
Demanding Elangovan’s removal, Vijayadharani sought an appointment with party chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
She had called on Elangovan yesterday here and requested action against those “who tore and threw away a Mahila unit banner in the toilet with an image of Indira Gandhi” she said in a letter to party high command, a copy of which is available with PTI.
Instead of taking action, “he used filthy, abusive, defamatory language against me and asked me to get out of the party. This is the third time he is abusing me, including in Raj Bhavan and on other women on various instances,” she alleged.
In the complaint with police, Shanta had named Elangovan for use of “abusive filthy language.”
Also, she has named Dhiraviyam, Pon Pandiyan and Franklin Prakash (supporters of Elangovan) as those who “assaulted” her when she staged a dharna alongside Vijayadharani inside the party office yesterday after Elangovan allegedly used abusive language against the party’s Mahila unit chief.
Recently, a delegation of senior Tamil Nadu Congress leaders, including former Union Minister P Chidambaram and K V Thangkabalu had complained to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi about Elangovan’s behaviour.
PTI