Chennai: Actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar, who joined the BJP earlier this month, was detained by the police in Tamil Nadu’s Chengalpattu district today while she was on her way to lead a protest against a politician for his remarks on ancient Hindu text Manusmriti.
During a recent address to a group, Thol Thirumavalavan, the chief of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), had claimed that religious text Manusmriti demeans women and that Manu Dharma treats women as prostitutes. The politician had demanded ban on Manusmriti.
The party has demanded an apology from Mr Thirumavalavan for his remarks, with its women’s wing calling for protests across Tamil Nadu. The BJP said the comments could trigger a communal clash.
Reacting to the criticism, Mr Thirumavalavan said, “I only quoted Manusmriti. Manusmriti has to be banned. The BJP is spreading fake news to trigger clashes.”
Khushbu Sundar changed camp from the Congress and joined the BJP just months before the Tamil Nadu polls. In her resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, she wrote that she felt “pushed and suppressed” by people who had no connect with ground reality.