PERAMBALUR: A controversy has erupted in Tamil Nadu after a man alleged that a TVK MLA assaulted him when he approached the legislator to raise civic issues, including drinking water shortage and garbage accumulation in his locality.

However, the complainant later denied being assaulted in a video recorded alongside the legislator.

According to the complainant, Karthik Kumar, a resident of Kannan Biran Colony in Thuraiyur, his locality had been facing a drinking water shortage for the past week, while garbage had also accumulated in the area. He alleged that despite approaching the municipal authorities, no action had been taken to address the problems.

Kumar further claimed that he had repeatedly tried to contact his constituency MLA, Ravi Shankar, over the phone but received no response.

On Diwali, Kumar, who had visited the Mannachanallur area for personal work, reportedly approached Ravi Shankar, who resides in the area, to bring the civic grievances to his attention.

Kumar alleged that the MLA used abusive language and physically assaulted him, including kicking him, before chasing him away. A video purportedly showing the incident went viral on social media, triggering criticism and raising questions about the conduct of an elected public representative towards a constituent seeking redressal of civic issues.

The incident sparked a debate on social media, with users questioning the alleged behaviour of the legislator towards a constituent who had approached him with complaints about basic civic amenities.

According to reports, Kumar is currently undergoing inpatient treatment at the Mannachanallur Government Hospital.

Meanwhile, allegations have also emerged that police personnel asked Kumar to leave the hospital and warned him against filing a complaint against the MLA. These claims have not been independently verified.

However, in a subsequent video recorded alongside Ravi Shankar, Kumar denied that the legislator had assaulted him and claimed that the incident was being misrepresented on social media.

The contrasting claims have added another dimension to the controversy, with the incident attracting considerable attention across social media platforms.

Further investigation is still underway.