Amid being surfaced with massive flak over his derogatory remarks about the birth of Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, DMK's Deputy General Secretary A Raja has on Monday issued an apology for his statement. The apology has come a day after Edappadi Palaniswami went emotional and broke down in tears for the disparaging speech from Raja. 

According to reports, A Raja was campaigning for the DMK in the Thousand Lights constituency last week during which he compared the birth of DMK President MK Stalin and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami. During his speech, Raja had made disparaging remarks about Palaniswami's mother under the guise of criticizing his rule in the state. Raja's comments were shared on social media and they had invited fresh trouble for DMK, leaving its rival to display how the party respects women.

Raja's speech had drawn massive flak not only from voters but also from the leaders of DMK. The Chief Minister had responded to Raja's remarks about his mother during the campaign trail on Sunday. Edappadi Palaniswami had gone emotional and broke down with tears as he spoke about his mother. He said with a choking voice, "I see that as a remark against the mother in every family. See how low they can stoop? You should see what they (DMK) speak when an ordinary man becomes the Chief Minister". 

"If these people come to power, what will happen to women, mothers? If this is the state of Chief Minister, who will protect ordinary people like you? You all should give fitting punishment to such people, who made derogatory remarks against women. Mothers occupy the highest status. Whoever speaks ill of mothers will be punished by God appropriately", the Chief Minister added as the crowd chanted in support of him and voiced against Raja and DMK. 

Criticism against Raja has been growing with the demand to place an apology and the Chennai police had booked him under three sections of the Indian Penal Code. However, Raja had earlier refused to give an apology for his statement. He said that he was aware of an edited version of his speech that has been getting shared on social media. He asserted that he was trying to draw a comparison between the ways Stalin and Palaniswami had risen through the political ranks and his intention was not to speak in a derogatory manner about Palaniswami's birth. 

By citing that his speech has been edited to create a different impression on social media, A Raja said that he cannot be held responsible. However, Raja was surfaced with the staunch demand to ask apology following which the DMK MP had offered his apology for the Chief Minister. While addressing the reports on Monday, Raja said, "I feel deeply distressed after learning that Tamil Nadu CM felt hurt by my statement". 

"I regret from the bottom of my heart for my statement that was wrongly conceived. I even apologize to the Tami Nadu Chief Minister if he is truly hurt, by setting aside the politics. I don't hesitate in issuing an apology. My speech was not about the personal comparison of two leaders but a comparison of the two leaders in pubic life". 

During the campaign last week, A Raja had said, "Let's compare DMK President Stalin and ADMK's Edappadi Palaniswami. At the age of 23, Stalin went to jail under MISA rule, and then he had served as a district in the party, general committee member, youth wing secretary, party's working president, and then president of DMK". Raja, who was the former Union Minister, had said that he had become a leader step-by-step and has served as an MLA, then Chennai's Mayor, state minister, Deputy CM, and now he is going to become a CM. 

Raja further said that why's he said Stalin is someone who was born out of a rightful marriage while Edappadi Palaniswami has not reached any heights in public life- is a premature baby born out of an illicit affair in politics. Tamil Nadu will go to the single-phase assembly poll on April 6 and the votes will be counted on May 2, during which the results would be announced. In an unprecedented fashion, the state is witnessing five fronts on the track to victory - ADMK and its alliance, DMK and its alliance, Kamal Haasan- Sarathkumar- IJK, AMMK- DMDK, and Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi.