Being known as a notable television presenter and strong critic of the ADMK regime, DMK's Dindigul Leoni has been in the party's kitty as one of its star campaigners for the upcoming assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. He has been touring the state and campaigning for the DMK candidates and in line with that, he was campaigning in Coimbatore on Wednesday during which he put the party into trouble through his comments that weren't well-received by women. 

Leoni's appalling remarks had stirred controversy and boomeranged massive flak towards the DMK party at a high time when it hopes to take over the reign by ousting the ADMK regime. According to reports, Leoni was campaigning for DMK's candidate Karthikeya Sivasenapathy who is contesting in the Thondamuthur constituency. Seeking votes for Sivasenapathy, who is a well-known activist working towards preserving the native breed of cattle, Leoni had apparently made the remarks that were in the form of physical bullying against women.

Leoni said, "Women's hips are like a barrel as they are drinking milk from foreign cows". The video of his remarks was widely shared on social media and many had castigated the television presenter, which had in a way troubled the DMK party and its bid to cultivate the votes from women. Some of the users had even tagged DMK MP Kanimozhi to take the issue to her attention. 

Leoni went on to say, "There are several types of cows and the milkman would get the milk from the foreign breeds of cow using machines. The women and children have become bloated after consuming that milk. Once women's hips were in the shape of eight and they were able to carry their children on the hip". He added that women's hips have now become barrel after drinking milk from foreign cows. 

He further said that as their hips had become a barrel and they can't able to lift the children now. Under the guise of seeking votes for the DMK's candidate, the television presenter had stirred controversy over his remarks. While his remarks had put the DMK party in trouble, the opposition parties took his remarks as a prospect to attack DMK. As the video of his speech went viral, Gayathri Raguram, who is the President of the Tamil Nadu BJP's Art and Culture Wing, said, "What a shame! What milk does he (Leoni) drink? Does he know what happens to women's body post-pregnancy or during hormonal change? Kanimozhi, what do you like to say to this kind of male chauvinist? Is this the respect your party people have for women?

Several social media users had also slammed the DMK's star campaigner and urged him to place a regret and take back his comments. It must be noted that DMK's candidate Karthikeya Sivasenapathy is the Managing Trustee of Senapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation, which is working to conserve native cattle breeds. He is also serving as the Secretary of DMK's Environment Wing and the party has offered him a ticket to contest from the Thondamuthur constituency in Coimbatore. 

Sivasenapathy will be taking over ADMK's bighead and senior minister SP Velumani in the constituency. Velumani, who is serving as the Minister for municipal administrations, has won from this constituency in the 2011 and 2016 assembly polls and he is working to taste a hat-trick victory. Tamil Nadu will go to the single-phase poll on April 6 and the votes will be counted on May 2, during which the results will be announced.