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In India, You Need 200 Journalists To Remind A Governor That He Can't Pat A Reporter On The Cheek

Purohit's apology came after nearly journalists wrote to him, demanding an apology.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has apologised after courting controversy as he patted a journalist on the cheek instead of answering her question at a press conference in Chennai on Tuesday. Purohit’s apology came after nearly journalists wrote to him, demanding an apology.

Following his completion of six months in office on Tuesday, the Governor had called for a press meet at the Raj Bhavan. As Purohit was exiting from the press meet, senior journalist Lakshmi Subramanian, asked him a question. However, Purohit patted her cheek “patronisingly” without her consent in response.

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Expressing how “agitated and angered” she felt, Subramanian, who works for The Week, shared a picture of the incident on Twitter.

“This, moments after he dismissed a barrage of questions about allegations of sexual misconduct against himself. Unprofessional behaviour – and completely uncalled for to touch a stranger without her consent, especially a woman,” Subramanian tweeted.

“Washed my face several times. Still not able to get rid of it,” she added.

On Wednesday, Purohit responded to Subramanian, apologising for his actions. In an email, Purohit wrote, “You had asked a question when we had got up and were proceeding to leave after the close of the Press Conference. I considered that question to be a good one. Therefore, as an act of appreciation for the question that you had posed, I gave a pat on your cheek considering you to be like my granddaughter. It was done with affection and to express my appreciation for your performance as a journalist since I was also a member of that profession for about 40 years. I do understand from your mail that you are feeling hurt about the incident. I wish to express my regret and my apologies to assuage your sentiments that have been hurt. I suppose you will respond through a mail of acknowledgement.”

Earlier, during the conference, Purohit intended to clear the air around his alleged involvement in the ‘Sex for Degrees’ case, where a Madurai Kamaraj University professor, Nirmala Devi, advised her students “to adjust with some officials” for marks and money. In the viral audio clip, where Devi could be heard luring students towards sexual favours, she had claimed to be close to the Governor, who is also the chancellor of the university.

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Purohit had dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and added, “I have not seen her face till date. What are you talking? It is nonsense.”

Tamil Nadu, Governor, Banwarilal Purohit

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit at the press conference in Chennai on Tuesday. (Courtesy: PTI/R Senthil Kumar)

As the conference ended and Purohit stood up to leave, Subramanian had posed another question. She detailed the incident in a report on The Week, saying, “‘Sir, you said you are satisfied with the government’s performance. Are you satisfied when it comes to the performance of universities too,’ I asked him. He didn’t hear me at all. Instead, he patted on my left cheek and got away. It was a crowded press conference, and I was transfixed for a moment by that gesture. Lavanya tried to console me.”

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Several people, even political leaders MK Stalin and Kanimozhi, had jumped to the journalist’s defence and condemned the actions of the Governor. Stalin tweeted, “It is not just unfortunate. It is absolutely unbecoming of someone who is in political office.”

Over 200 journalists, mainly from Tamil Nadu, had rallied behind Subramanian, demanding an apology from the Governor for his “unbecoming conduct” in an email.

Following the Governor’s apology, Subramanian tweeted:

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