Chennai, May 25: Tamil Nadu‘s Industries Minister S. Keerthana addressed the backlash regarding her response to the brutal rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore’s Sulur area. She stated that opposition parties misrepresented her body language on social media, unnecessarily politicizing the situation.
The controversy erupted when a video of the minister smiling during a media briefing in Virudhunagar circulated online. Critics, including opposition leaders and social media users, accused her of showing insensitivity while answering questions about the girl’s murder. This incident has sparked widespread outrage across Tamil Nadu.
In a post on her social media, Keerthana clarified that her demeanor was taken out of context for political reasons. She explained that she had met journalists after an industry-related briefing and smiled naturally at the end of the Q&A session. According to her, this expression was not directed at any specific question nor related to the tragic incident.
Keerthana emphasized that the heinous crime against the 10-year-old girl is extremely painful and disturbing. She mentioned that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay instructed officials to take immediate action following the incident.
The minister noted that authorities formed five special investigation teams and reviewed over 250 CCTV footage. Within 24 hours, police arrested the accused, Karthik and Mohanraj, assuring that strict action would be taken against them under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
She further stated that ensuring justice for the girl and the safety of women and children is among the government’s top priorities. Addressing the online criticism, Keerthana acknowledged that while criticism of the ruling government by the opposition is a legitimate part of democracy, distorting facts and using personal moments as political weapons is detrimental to society.
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