"I Regret": Tamil Nadu BJP Chief's 'Sorry' For Actor Trisha-Vijay Remark

The BJP's Tamil Nadu unit chief, Nainar Nagendran, was forced to apologise this week after distasteful comments about Tamil actor Trisha Krishnan and actor-politician Vijay.

"In my political career I do not allow any personal comments… nor do I make any. But that day I breached this rule," Nagendran told reporters Monday evening.

He said Vanathi Srinivasan, the BJP's Coimbatore (South) MLA, and K Annamalai, his predecessor, had discussed the controversy with him. "I regret what I said," he said.

"K Annamalai also made me understand. I regret my words and express my apology," he said.

Nagendran sparked a massive row when he referred to Trisha while criticising Vijay, who has ruffled political feathers with the launch of his party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, and is widely expected to be a dark horse in the forthcoming Assembly election.

"I pity him. He is inexperienced. Let him first come out of Trisha's residence. He should have a good relationship with the family," Nagendran had said, prompting a furious backlash.

RECAP | "Distasteful": Actor Trisha Calls Out Tamil Nadu BJP Chief On Vijay Remark

Vijay and Trisha have worked in several movies together.

The comments drew sharp criticism, including from the ruling DMK. The party's Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu said that criticising a political leader's personal life is "uncivilised".

"Criticising the personal life of someone in politics is uncivilised. Moreover, speaking in a way that degrades the dignity and honour of a woman who has no connection to politics is an act that tarnishes womanhood. For Mr. Nainar Nagendran, the female leaders in the BJP remaining silent without condemning this is an injustice," she said on X.

Trisha also issued a scathing response. A statement issued on her behalf by lawyer Nithyaesh Natraj, and shared on her social media accounts, described the remarks as "distasteful".

"My client never expected that such distasteful and inappropriate remark would be made by a person holding a high stature in the state's political space. My client makes it very clear that she is not affiliated with any political party (and) neither does she intend to be."

"Further, just as my client had continuously maintained in the past, she has always taken a neutral stand when it comes to politics," the statement said.

But not all BJP voices seemed to recognise the egregious nature of Nagendran's comments, with former MLA Vijayadharani attacking the DMK instead. "It is the DMK that maligns women. When I left the Congress and joined the BJP, the DMK made bad remarks about me," she declared.