The Congress in Tamil Nadu is facing a riot like situation with state Mahila Congress chief S Vijayadharani MlA and her associates filing a criminal complaint against EVKS Elangovan, the TNCC president and three others for abusing them and outraging the modesty of women. The Anna Road Police Station in Chennai is reported to have filed a FIR against Elangovan and others under the provisions of Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act and on charges of outraging the modesty of women under Section 294/B, 323, 506/1(4).
Vijayadharani, who is a protégé of Mani Shankar Aiyar, has alleged in her complaint to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi that the TNCC chief abused and shouted at her when she complained to him that someone had destroyed the banners put up by her near the party headquarters on November 19, birthday of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Speaking to reporters at his residence on Sunday, Elangovan denied all charges against him. He said he was willing to help her but the Mahila Congress chief behaved in a manner not befitting her position.
TNCC spokesperson A Gopanna told The Pioneer that Vijayadharani misbehaved with the TNCC chief and shouted at him. “Elangovan told her to give in writing her grievances so that he could take disciplinary action against those who destroyed the banners. But Vijayadharani spoke ill of the TNCC chief which forced him to walk out of the room,” said Gopanna. He said 49 out of the 61 DCC chiefs in a signed statement had asked the Congress high command to remove her from the post of Mahila Congress chief.
In another development, Manohari, a Scheduled Caste leader of the party, has filed a criminal complaint against Vijayadharani under the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Act and on charges of criminal intimidation. Vijayadharani is already facing controversy for cold shouldering and insulting Nagma, president of Mahila Congress and film actress Khushboo, a new entrant to the party from the DMK.
Elangovan, who was appointed TNCC chief in November 2014, had a tumultuous first anniversary of his appointment recently when a group of Congress leaders led by P Chidambaram called on Sonia and Rahul earlier this month demanding the former’s immediate replacement. However, the Congress high command stood behind Elangovan.
last week saw, H Vasanthakumar, president of the traders wing of the party being shown the door by Elangovan. Vasanthakumar, younger brother of Kumari Ananthan, a highly respected Congress leader, openly challenged Elangovan’s power to remove him from the party post.
The internecine war in the Congress has come at a time when other political parties are busy planning their course of action for the 2016 Assembly election. N Kalyanasundaram, chronicler of Tamil Nadu’s political history, said he has never seen the Congress in a more pathetic situation. “If Mr N is the president of the TNCC, all except him would gang up against the incumbent president. This has been the bane of the Congress in Tamil Nadu,” said Kalyanasundaram.
He was all praise for Elangovan whom he described as the one who gave the Congress a new lease of life. “At a time when other parties are talking about coalitions to meet the elections in 2016 and even considering the State unit of the Congress as a force to reckon with, this kind of internal rebellion nullify all efforts of the Congress to stake its claim in the emerging coalition set up,” said Kalyanasundaram.
Adding to the woes of the Congress, Chidambaram has told the party cadre to forget the 2016 Assembly election as the party would definitely lose it. The former Finance Minister wants the party high command to appoint Karti, his son as the TNCC chief.
