CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has offered regret and apologies to a woman journalist for patting her cheek. The incident took place last week at the Raj Bhavan when the journalist raised a question as he got up to leave. In a mail to Lakshmi Subramanian, the governor said, “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.”
The Chennai Press Club had earlier sought an apology from the governor for his “unbecoming conduct” as the governor. It said being the constitutional head of the state is expected to set an example by his words and actions. “But we are sorry to say, your behaviour in yesterday’s press meet was neither exemplary nor condonable,” it said. Meanwhile, Purohit said the “pat on cheek” was done with affection and to express his appreciation for her performance as a journalist. “I do understand from your mail that you feel hurt about the incident. I wish to express my regret and my apologies to assuage your sentiments that have been hurt.”
Subramanian responded to the letter in a tweet saying, “Your Excellency, I have with me your letter dated April 18, 2018, expressing regret at what happened at the press conference in Chennai the previous day. I accept your apology, even though I am not convinced about your contention that you did it to appreciate a question I asked.” The Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan convened a rare press conference in the backdrop of a purported telephonic conversation Nirmala Devi, an assistant professor in an Aruppukottai college, had with her four girl students in which she mentioned in the governor.
