NEW DELHI: Actor-turned-politician S.Ve.Shekhar on Friday apologised for forwarding a message that was defamatory of women journalists.


In the Facebook post, the Tamil Nadu BJP leader had said that the Governor should “wash his hand with phenyl” for having touched the woman journalist.

The post, which is now deleted, came after journalist Lakshmi Subramanian asked a question to Tamil Nadu Governor. He did not answer that, instead patted on her cheek without her consent.

Without naming the woman journalist in the incident, S.Ve.Shekhar's post read: "I feel pity while looking at that woman journalist. She claims she was disturbed because the governor touched her. But when you read her tweets, it is understood that her intention was to target the Governor and Modi. It is actually the governor who has to wash his hands with Phenoyl after touching her. These (TN media persons) are cheap and disgusting creatures. Most people who work in the media in TN are usually  Illiterate, cheap and don't have any general knowledge. This woman is not any different."

Image: SVESHEKHER/ Twitter

Several members of the media fraternity had slammed the sexist post by S.Ve.Shekhar on social media.

On Friday, in a statement, the BJP politician said he had forwarded a message on his Facebook page without reading it.

S.Ve.Shekhar said "I do not endorse the views expressed in it. I come from a family that respects women and the women journalist,"