Chennai Mayor's Woman Dafadar Shunted Out For Wearing Lipstick

Chennai corporation's first woman dafadar S B Madhavi was reportedly trasferred for wearing lipstick thereby disobeying mayor R Priya's order, Times of India reported.

50-year-old S B Madhavi, who ceremonially accompanies mayor R Priya, has told the publication that she has been transferred to other area Manali.

"You told me not to wear lipstick. I applied it, disobeying your orders. If this is a crime, show me the govt order (GO) which prohibits me from wearing lipstick," the daily quoted Madhavi responding to a memo from the mayor's personal assistant Siva Sankar.

On August 6, Madhavi received a memo accusing her of "dereliction of duty, failing to report to work during official hours, and disobeying orders from superiors." In her response, she asked the mayor's office to provide proof of her alleged lateness and clarify which orders she had disobeyed. Madhavi explained that she was only 30 minutes late that day, arriving at 10:30 AM due to a leg injury. She added that the only "order" she had violated was related to wearing lipstick. Additionally, she said she was instructed not to interact with staff from other departments or visit any other sections within the Ripon Buildings, the headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).

"This is the Greater Chennai Corporation, and such instructions are a violation of human rights. Show me the government order (GO) that prohibits me from talking to others. Your memo is valid only if I failed to work during official hours," she stated in her reply.

Speaking to the daily, Mayor Priya said that Madhavi had participated in a fashion show during Women's Day celebrations at Ripon Buildings, where her appearance and performance were criticized by others.

"This was communicated to her. Additionally, she wore matte lipstick, which was noticeable. Since the mayor's office frequently hosts ministers and embassy officials, my PA asked her to avoid such shades. However, her transfer is not related to this," the mayor clarified.

A single parent Madhavi stated that the mayor's assistants repeatedly asked her to tone down her lipstick and criticized her for wearing bright saris. She claimed that her transfer to a distant zone was a form of punishment, even though areas like Anna Nagar, Ambattur, and Valsaravakkam are closer to her.