Cheeky Trouble! Tamil Nadu Governor pats woman journalist on the cheek; triggers outrage, journalists demands apology

Tamil Nadu Governor, Banwarilal Purohit lands into trouble after he patted on a senior woman journalist without her consent, during a press conference on Tuesday over the controversy emerging on the sex for degrees case of a professor of MKU. The press conference was held in a move to clarify Mr Purohit's name from the case, in fact, he landed into a cheeky trouble.

The incident took place in a press conference when the 78-year-old Governor was about to leave the venue at the Raj Bhavan and patted on the journalist's cheek.

The woman journalist, who works with TheWeek, recalled the encounter on Twitter: "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."

The journalist recalls the incident and said, It was completely uncalled for to touch a stranger without consent.

"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," she tweeted.

Soon after the journalist responds to the incident, it triggered a massive outrage from the TN other journalists. Near about, 200 journalists, wrote a letter to Governor Banwarilal Purohit him for “harassing” a senior journalist during a press conference on Tuesday.

“Your action today in touching the cheek of a senior lady reporter who asked you a question at the press meet was patronising at best and a violation of her rights as a woman at worst. She was there since you had called for a press meet and simply discharging her duty as a journalist,” the petition stated.

“We do not wish to question your motives on this gesture, considering that it is appalling that you should choose to do such a thing at a press meet that you addressed on the case of a professor allegedly luring students to sexual encounters with her seniors and who claimed to know you,” it added.

The Chennai Press Club has demanded an apology from Mr Purohit. The incident has also invited criticism from the main Opposition party in the state, DMK.