Kushboo Sundar arrested as BJP-VCK face-off over 'Manusmriti' reading; 'Won't bow down'

Recently-inducted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kushboo Sundar was arrested on Tuesday as the BJP and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) clashed over Thol. Thirumavalava's comments quoting Manusmriti in Tamil Nadu. The actor-politician asserted that the party will ‘fight till the last breath’ for the dignity of women. She also hit out at the VCK for ‘rejoicing’ over her arrest and called them ‘cowards.’

READ: Hindu Scriptures And Manusmriti Says Women Are Prostitutes': VCK Chief Thol. Thirumavalava

Kushboo Sundar arrested

Kushboo Sundar took to Twitter on Tuesday to share a selfie from the police van as she was taken by the officials. She wrote that she was ‘arrested’ because the BJP were ‘a force to reckon with.’ 

The politician also stated that BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have always 'spoken about the safety of women' and taken every step to ‘ensure the respectability of every daughter’ and they were just following his path. 

Kushboo Sundar sent a message to VCK that it was their 'failure', and calling them 'Darpoks', added, ‘respecting a woman is alien to you.’ The leader added that they would not ‘bow down to the atrocities of few elements.’

READ: BJP, VCK Cadres Nearly Come To Blows In TN Over 'Manusmriti'

She also questioned the 'partiality' of the AIADMK government about being denied the democratic right to protest when other parties could do. Kushboo asked if CM Edappadi Palaniswami feared 'riots' from VCK.

VCK-BJP spar over Manusmriti

As per reports, Kushboo Sundar was on her way to protest at Chidambaram when she was arrested by Mamallapuram Police near Muttukadu. 

As per PTI, BJP and VCK workers had nearly come to blows when VCK Chief Thol. Thirumavalava visited Erode on Monday. BJP leaders had protested when he was going to attend a wedding, and demanded his apology over his controversial statement on women quoting Manusmriti. VCK raised counter slogans and the groups nearly came to blows, when police arrested the BJP workers and took them in a van. Police stated that VCK workers pelted stones at the van. The BJP had then announced a protest on Tuesday. 

A controversy had erupted over VCK Chief Thol. Thirumavalava’s statements that ‘Hindu scriptures and Manusmritis say women are prostitutes'. Speaking at an online seminar organised by a Periyarist group, he was quoted as saying, “Manusmriti and sanatana dharma say all women are prostitutes."

The politician also said, "If one were to look at how women are valued in Sanatana Dharma… how they are treated, how they are being suppressed for time immemorial, how they are being exploited… what does Sanatana Dharma say about women?" 

He continued, "That is how they have been created by God. They are of lower status than men. This is applicable to Brahmin women as well as women of other castes. This is what the Sanatana Dharma says” as a video of his statements went viral. 

Later Thirumavalavan clarified that his comments were twisted and that pro-Hindu outfits were ‘spreading hatred’ over it. 

“Manudharma and Sanatana Dharma are scriptures that have degraded women from time to time. Some groups are twisting what I spoke in an online forum meeting over a month ago and spreading lies about it. Dr Ambedkar had, back then, highlighted how Manu dharmam degraded women and had burned a copy of it. Periyar had also spoken about the atrocities and burned a copy of the manu dharmam. Time and time again several leaders have highlighted this and yet injustice towards women prevails,” he said. 

READ: Vijay Sethupathi Quits Muralitharan Biopic, BJP's Kushboo Sundar Stands In Solidarity

READ: Kushboo Sundar Claims Vindication On Congress-to-BJP Shift After Kamal Nath's 'item' Row