TN guv pats woman scribe on cheek, stokes row

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Tuesday courted controversy by patting a woman journalist on her cheek while she posed a question to him as his unprecedented press conference was ending.

Lakshmi Subramanian, a special correspondent with The Week magazine, posted a picture of the governor patting on her cheek on her Twitter handle and called his behaviour "unprofessional".

"I asked TN Governor Banwarilal Purohit a question as his press conference was ending. He decided to patronisingly – and without consent – pat me on the cheek as a reply.

"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," Lakshmi wrote on Twitter.

"Washed my face several times. Still not able to get rid of it. So agitated and angered Mr Governor Banwarilal Purohit. It might be an act of appreciation for you and grandfatherly attitude. But to me you are wrong," she wrote further.

The picture that was shared multiple times on Twitter and other social media sites attracted a lot of criticism against the governor for his behaviour.

Several women journalists took to Twitter to dismiss the governor’s actions as "so sick", "disgusting" and "irresponsible".