Kallakurichi District Collector Padmaja was assigned a dedicated personal security officer following allegations that ruling TVK legislator C Arul Vignesh sent her obscene digital messages and attempted an intoxicated confrontation at her residence, setting off a fierce political clash across Tamil Nadu.
DMK leader Kanimozhi launched the offensive on Monday, November 9. She demanded answers directly from Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, warning that governance in the state had unraveled to the point where senior women administrative officers now need armed protection against sitting lawmakers. "Under the TVK administration, law and order has collapsed," Kanimozhi said, questioning what actual protection state officials can guarantee if district collectors face physical intimidation from the ruling party's own bench.
Vignesh denied the claims outright. The Kallakurichi legislator countered that the allegations were fabricated political retaliation tied directly to a local dispute over his push to relocate the Kallakurichi municipal bus stand. He accused the DMK's digital wing of orchestrating a smear drive to damage his credibility and disrupt the ruling party.
Cabinet officials disclosed that Collector Padmaja flagged the messages to senior ministerial leadership two months ago, prompting an internal reprimand that forced Vignesh to apologize privately. Since that confrontation, the collector and the MLA have deliberately stayed apart at official state functions.
Public pressure over the incident, coupled with broader scrutiny of elected members, forced the leadership to act. Chief Minister Vijay summoned every TVK legislator to the party’s Panaiyur headquarters for an emergency review on Wednesday, November 11. Party general secretary and cabinet minister N Anand will head an internal review committee examining the charges against Vignesh alongside conduct complaints concerning Deputy Speaker Ravi Shankar. The party leadership plans to weigh formal disciplinary proceedings against both lawmakers following Wednesday's closed-door hearings.