Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu's visit to Tiruppur this week took an unexpected turn when a shoe was thrown at him during a public reception. The incident occurred outside the District Collector's Office, where officials had assembled to welcome him.
Although the shoe missed Vairamuthu and landed in the crowd, it caused brief confusion at the venue. The situation was quickly brought under control, and the event went ahead as scheduled. Following the controversy, the lyricist has now shared his first social media post addressing the incident.
What Happened At The Venue
A video shared by Polimer News on X shows Vairamuthu arriving near his car, dressed in white and yellow. Officials are seen greeting him when a shoe suddenly flies through the air. It narrowly misses the lyricist and appears to graze the head of one official standing close by.
The visuals show some confusion among those present, but the event proceeds without stopping. Security personnel quickly stepped in to manage the situation.
Woman Detained By Police
According to a report by Hindu Tamil, the shoe was thrown by a 45-year-old woman identified as Jaya. Police personnel stationed at the venue immediately caught her and took her to the Tiruppur police station for questioning.
Police officials later stated that the woman was “mentally ill” and claimed that she was “constantly involved” in issues at the District Collector's Office and court. They also confirmed that she has been arrested.
Vairamuthu's First Message After The Incident
After the incident, Vairamuthu shared his first response on social media. Without mentioning the shoe-throwing episode, he spoke about another event he attended in Tiruppur.
“In Tiruppur, the Vetri Tamizhar Peravai (Victorious Tamils' Federation) organised the 'Valluvar's Teachings, Vairamuthu's Discourse' signature campaign event. The AVP auditorium was filled with over a thousand school children and college students. The President of the Vetri Tamizhar Peravai, Ramraj Nagarajan, delivered a wonderful moral discourse,” he wrote.
He also acknowledged the organisers, adding, “The coordinator Tiruppur Jeevanandam, District President Srikumar, Secretary Satish, and Treasurer Sivakumar shouldered the responsibility of the event. Seeing two thousand young hands clapping in unison, I forgot myself.”
The lyricist also shared pictures from the event along with school children on X.
Past Controversies And Recent Work
Vairamuthu has remained a controversial figure over the years. In 2018, during the MeToo movement, he was accused of sexual harassment by singer Chinmayi Sripada and Bhuvana Seshan. The lyricist denied the allegations and described them as being driven by ‘ulterior motives'.
On the work front, Vairamuthu recently wrote lyrics for the 2024 films Maharaja and Kozhipannai Chelladurai.