Daijiworld Media Network

Chennai, Apr 20: Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit patting the cheek of a woman journalist at a press conference in Chennai created quite a stir. While the governor has expressed his apologies, Tamil Nadu BJP leader S V E Shekher Venkataraman created a new controversy by sharing a post that says the 'governor should wash his hands with phenyl' for touching her.

The derogatory post on women journalists titled "Madurai University, Governor and the Virgin Cheeks of a Girl" which has now been deleted claimed that a woman cannot become a reporter or news reader without sleeping with bigwigs.

"This ugly truth has come out through the complaints raised recently. These are the (using a derogatory word) women who have come out to question the Governor. Media people are the cheap, lowly, ugly, vulgar beings of Tamil Nadu. There are only few exceptions. I respect only them. Otherwise, the whole of TN media is in a regressive path caught in the hands of criminals, rascals, blackmailers," read the post.

Claiming that sex abuse is rampant in the media compared to universities, the post targeted the journalists for questioning the Governor, whose name came up in a ‘sex-for-degrees scam’.

The post claimed that the journalist aimed to "defame the governor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

Shared without reading fully: Shekher

Meanwhile, Shekher told a newspaper that the post is credited “From Thirumalai S” and he shared it without reading it fully. He could not delete it as Facebook had blocked his account for 24 hours. He said that he never meant to abuse anyone and has deleted the post.

However, the journalists are not convinced and are seeking action against Shekher. Chennai journalists will protest at BJP's state headquarters against S. VE. Shekhar and BJP's national secretary H Raja, who is also accused of making comments in bad taste against journalists.