CHENNAI: A little over 15 minutes after the replacement of Ponmudy with Tiruchy Siva as the deputy general secretary of the party over making offensive comments, the DMK followed it with another 'regret' statement.

In a statement, DMK general secretary Duraimurugan expressed his choice of words for describing differently-abled persons.

"I was shocked and worried when party president (Stalin) brought to my notice that I had used an archaic term to refer to differently-abled people in the course of my speech at a public meeting. That I, who was raised by Kalaignar, had committed such a mistake is a great blunder. It would have hurt differently-abled people. I express my unconditional regret for the same. I know to what extent our party president would have been hurt. I express my regrets to him as well," said Duraimurugan in a statement circulated by the high command.