TN governor apologies for patting journo on cheek sparks outrage

Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday apologised to lady journalist after he sparked controversy by patting her cheek without taking her permission at a press conference at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.

In a letter to Subramanian, the governor wrote, "...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."

The journalist took to Twitter to announce that while she accepted the apology, she was not convinced about Purohit's intention.

The incident occurred when Purohit had called a press conference to speak on a case which involves a professor allegedly luring students to sexual encounters and who had claimed to have known the Governor.

Lakshmi Subramanian, a senior journalist for a well-known weekly magazine, was also present for the press conference and when she asked Purohit a question, he patted her on the cheek without her consent without giving an answer. She later took to Twitter to vent her anger at how her personal space had been invaded upon.

Meanwhile, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi was quick to react, tweeting, "Even if the intention is above suspicion, a person, who holds a public office has to understand that there is a decorum to it and violating a woman journalist's personal space does not reflect the dignity or the respect which should be shown to any human being."