CHENNAI: TVK president and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday condemned DMK president M K Stalin over his remarks on TVK’s Dharapuram bypoll candidate P Sathyabama, accusing him of resorting to body-shaming and indecent political discourse during his campaign in the constituency.

Vijay alleged that Stalin had turned an election campaign meeting in Dharapuram into a defamatory and indecent gathering and made objectionable remarks about Sathyabama’s physical appearance.

“Stalin has spoken in a highly indecent manner and taken pleasure in ridiculing the physical appearance of our Dharapuram candidate, sister P Sathyabama,” Vijay said in a statement.

He further alleged that Stalin’s remarks amounted to an admission of his role in what he described as a culture of vulgarity, violence and perversion within the DMK.

“People of Tamil Nadu have long been aware that vulgarity, violence and perversion are embedded in the DMK’s political culture,” Vijay said, accusing the party of being opposed to democratic values.

The TVK leader also alleged that the DMK had repeatedly made vulgar remarks about women, including in their presence, without considering their discomfort. “The people of Tamil Nadu and Dharapuram will give an appropriate response to this force,” Vijay said.

Expressing his strong condemnation of the alleged remarks, Vijay said he was speaking as a son, elder brother and younger brother of the women of Tamil Nadu.