Chennai Mayor R Priya on Tuesday approached the police over an obscene social media post targeting her, questioning whether the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) allows its supporters to demean women even as the party publicly condemns derogatory remarks against them.
In her complaint to the Chennai Police Commissioner and the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime wing, Priya described the post as an act of sexual humiliation that reduced her to “vulgar ridicule”. She questioned whether she was being targeted simply for holding public office and asked Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay why no action had been taken against the alleged online abusers despite a formal complaint.
“Is it the policy of the TVK to engage in obscene and derogatory remarks about me, solely because I am in public life?” she asked, raising questions about the party’s response to alleged online abuse.
Taking a direct jab at the ruling party, Priya asked CM Vijay whether it was fair to allow “virtual abusers” to operate under the label of “TVK virtual warriors”. She also questioned why no appropriate action had been taken despite a formal complaint at the main police station.
“How can it be considered fair to portray women in such an obscene manner, rather than engaging in a debate based on principles or policy?” she asked, adding: “Do only the women affiliated with the TVK possess dignity? Or is it the official stance of the TVK that other women ought not to have any dignity at all?”
, .. ? ? , .. virtual warriors , Virtual abusers ? , , , ? ? .. ? ... ?— Priya (@PriyarajanDMK) October 20, 2026
The complaint comes months after a controversy erupted over DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s alleged obscene remark about actor Trisha Krishnan. The TVK condemned his comments as “disgusting”, while the BJP demanded his arrest.
Udhayanidhi was subsequently arrested in connection with the controversy and later released.
Weeks later, Vijay broke his silence on the issue, condemning abusive language and defamatory remarks against women without naming anyone directly.
Referring to what he described as a “river of vulgarity” and a “river of hatred”, he said political differences should not become an excuse to demean women or resort to personal attacks.
“Speaking abusively about women, making defamatory remarks, and using double-meaning words, this is wrong,” he said.
The Chief Minister also recalled the humiliation former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa faced in the Assembly, urging political opponents to respect the people’s verdict rather than resort to personal attacks.
CHENNAI MAYOR’S PRESENCE AT DMK EVENT
Priya’s complaint comes against the backdrop of another controversy over alleged personal attacks in Tamil Nadu politics.
A DMK councillor, Sudha Deenadayalan, was booked over derogatory remarks against Vijay at a party event on October 7. DMK functionary Muralidharan, who organised the event, was also booked.
The remarks were made in the presence of DMK deputy general secretary and MP Kanimozhi, former minister Sekar Babu and Mayor Priya. Visuals from the event showed Priya laughing as Deenadayalan allegedly made the remarks, drawing criticism from TVK leaders.
TVK general secretary Aadhav Arjuna accused the DMK of turning political platforms into spaces for personal attacks. He also criticised Priya for laughing during the speech, questioning the conduct of those present on the dais.
The DMK, meanwhile, shared a video claiming that Kanimozhi and Sekar Babu had reprimanded Deenadayalan privately after the event. Kanimozhi later said politicians should not define their character based on the behaviour of their political opponents.
- Ends