Facing the heat over patting the cheek of a journalist, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has now issued a clarification over the incident. In a letter to the journalist, the Governor has said that he gave a pat on her cheek considering her to be like his granddaughter.


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“You had asked a question when we had got up and were proceeding to leave after the close of the Press Conference. I considered that question to be a good one Therefore, as an act of appreciation for the question that you had posed. I gave a pat on your cheek considering you to be like my granddaughter,” said the Governor in the letter.


According to the Governor, the pat was an expression of affection and appreciation for her “performance as a journalist”. The Governor also expressed apologised for his gesture.


“I do understand from your mail that you are feeling hurt about the incident. I wish to express my regret and my apologies to assuage your sentiments that have been hurt,” he said.


Here’s the full text of the Governor’s letter:


Madam Journalist, 


I have received your e-mail dated 18.04.2018. You had asked a question when we had got up and were proceeding to leave after the close of the Press Conference. I considered that question to be a good one Therefore, as an act of appreciation for the question that you had posed. I gave a pat on your cheek considering you to be like my granddaughter. It was done with affection and to express my appreciation for your performance as a journalist. since I was also a member of that profession for about 40 years. I do understand from your mail that you are feeling hurt about the incident. I wish to express my regret and my apologies to assuage your sentiments that have been hurt. I suppose you will respond through a mail of acknowledgement. 


Yours sincerely. 
(BANWARILAL PUROHIT)


The statement from the Governor came after a group of journalists in Tamil Nadu wrote to him demanding an unconditional apology over the incident.


The incident occurred when Purohit had called a press conference to speak on a case, which involved a professor allegedly luring students to sexual encounters and who had claimed to have known the Governor. Lakshmi Subramanian, a senior journalist for a well-known weekly magazine, was also present for the press conference and when she asked Purohit a question, he patted her on the cheek without her consent without giving an answer. She later took to Twitter to vent her anger at how her personal space had been invaded upon.