Actress-turned-politician in Tamil Nadu, Gayathri Raghuram had a bolt-from-the-blue moment on Tuesday - November 22 after being suspended from her current political affiliation. 38-year-old Gayathri Raghuram had been associated with the BJP where she had been serving as the chief of the Tamil Nadu BJP's Arts, Cultural Wing, and Overseas Tamil Development. She is the inaugural holder of this post and she has been a controversial political figure in the state.

Gayathri Raghuram has been a star campaigner of the party in one of its biggest hotbeds. On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai released a statement in which he announced that Gayathri Raghuram has been suspended from the party for six months. Her primary membership has also been suspended and the development has drawn swift attention from across the state. 

The suspension of Gayathri Raghuram has come at a high time when she urged the party to initiate action against fellow BJP leader Surya Siva for furiously abusing a woman functionary by using derogatory remarks. Surya Siva is the son of DMK MP Trichy Siva and he switched sides this year after which he was awarded the post of secretary of the Tamil Nadu BJP. 

Surya Siva's audio was going viral and his obscene language against the woman functionary sparked outrage even within the party. As the audio of the phone call was doing rounds, Gayathri Raghuram said to have urged the state BJP unit to remove Surya from the party and that he should be arrested. However, state president Annamalai has announced that the actress has been suspended from the party. 

In his statement, Annamalai claimed that Gayathri Raghuram has been involved in anti-party activities, violating the principles, and bringing disrepute to the party. As she is into such conduct continuously, Annamalai said that she has been suspended from the party for six months. He also appealed to the party cadres not to exercise any party-related connection with Gayathri Raghuram for six months. 

Annamalai has also said that the party's cadres should appear for YouTube interviews only after acquiring consent from the leadership and that strict action will be taken against those who defy the party's laws and principles. Responding to the suspension, Gayathri Raghuram took to Twitter and wrote, "I accept. But people who love me will talk to me. No one can stop that. I will work for the nation with suspension."