After pat on cheek sparks outrage, TN Governor apologizes
_vb_71.jpeg)
Chennai, April 18: Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday apologized to a woman journalist whose cheeks he patted after a press conference, triggering widespread criticism.
In a letter to the journalist, Lakshmi Subramanian, which was circulated to the media, Purohit said: "I wish to express my regret and my apologies to assuage your sentiments that have been hurt."
Purohit said: "You had asked a question when we had got up and were proceeding to leave after the close of the press conference (on Tuesday)."
"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," he said.
Purohit said he himself has been a journalist for about 40 years.
"I do understand from your mail that you are feeling hurt about the incident. I wish to express my regret and my apologize to assuage your sentiments that have been hurt."
Reacting to Purohit's letter, Subramanian tweeted: "Your Excellency, I have with me your letter expressing regret at what happened at the press conference in Chennai... I accept your apology even though I am not convinced about your contention that you did it to appreciate a question I asked."
Earlier, Tamil Nadu journalists had demanded an unconditioned apology from Purohit for patting the cheek of Subramanian.
Subramanian tweeted a picture in which the Governor is seen patting her cheek at the Raj Bhavan and expressed her shock over his conduct.
The Governor met the media to deny as untrue allegations of a so-called sex scandal at a leading university in the state.
Journalists promptly drafted a letter informing the Governor that his conduct amounted to a non-bailable criminal offence.
"As the Constitutional head of our state of Tamil Nadu, you have crossed the lines of not just basic courtesy but also those of law," read the letter to the Governor.
They pointed out that whatever his intention, he had violated the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998.
DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi tweeted: "Even if the intention is above suspicion, violating a woman journalist's personal space does not reflect the dignity or the respect which should be shown to any human being."
The journalists had sought an unconditional apology from the Governor and an assurance that he will desist from behaving in this manner in future.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Markets rebound sharply on ceasefire between India, Pakistan: Sensex, Nifty surge over 3 pc
New Delhi, May 12 (PTI): Dalal Street investors became richer by Rs 16.15 lakh crore on Monday as markets skyrocketing nearly 4 per cent, after India and Pakistan announced reaching an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea.
Also, a trade agreement between the US and China added to the markets' optimism.
After starting the trade on an optimistic note, the 30-share BSE benchmark gauge Sensex further jumped 2,975.43 points or 3.74 per cent to settle at 82,429.90. During the day, it rallied 3,041.5 points or 3.82 per cent to a high of 82,495.97.
The market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms jumped by Rs 16,15,275.19 crore to Rs 4,32,56,125.65 crore (USD 5.05 trillion) in a single day.
"Confluence of positive geopolitical and economic developments — the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, coupled with a breakthrough trade agreement between the US and China — sparked the strongest daily market rally in recent times," Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, said.
From the Sensex firms, Infosys jumped 7.91 per cent. HCL Tech, Tata Steel, Eternal, Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, NTPC and Reliance Industries were the other major gainers.
Sun Pharma and IndusInd Bank were the only laggards from the blue-chip pack.
"Markets staged a sharp rebound on Monday, buoyed by easing geopolitical tensions after the India-Pakistan ceasefire. Benchmark indices posted their strongest single-day performance in over four years," Vikram Kasat, Head - Advisory at PL Capital, said.
The BSE smallcap gauge surged 4.18 per cent and midcap index jumped 3.85 per cent.
"Markets opened the week on a strong footing, rallying nearly 4 per cent, driven by supportive global and domestic cues. The key trigger was the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan over the weekend, signalling easing geopolitical tensions. Adding to the positive sentiment were encouraging updates on the US-China trade deal, which further boosted investor confidence as the session progressed," Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research at Religare Broking Ltd, said.
All sectoral indices ended higher. IT zoomed 6.75 per cent, BSE Focused IT (6.74 per cent), realty (5.87 per cent), metal (5.24 per cent), teck (5.21 per cent), utilities (5.07 per cent), power (4.82 per cent) and industrials (4.24 per cent).
"Indian equities made spectacular gains on Monday, with the Nifty soaring by a record 917 points to close at 24,925 - a seven-month high. The de-escalation in India-Pakistan tensions over the weekend has significantly helped calm investors' nerves and improve sentiments.
"On the global front, the US announced a headway in the trade negotiations with China, as both countries agreed to drastically roll back tariffs on each other's goods for an initial 90-day period," Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Research, Wealth Management at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said.
As many as 3,545 stocks advanced while 576 declined and 133 remained unchanged on the BSE.
