Kangana Ranaut slams character attacks on women, cites 'cheer haran' in Tamil Nadu

Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has called for an end to the “character assassination of women”, referring to the “cheer haran” (disrobing) and the targeting of a Tamil actor over her personal relationships. Her remarks came days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay condemned personal attacks, double-meaning insults and derogatory comments against women in the state Assembly.Speaking to reporters after chairing the District Development Coordination and Monitoring meeting in Kullu on Monday, Ranaut said women, particularly those in positions of power and authority, are often subjected to attacks on their character in an attempt to undermine them.Ranaut was asked about Vijay’s recent speech in which he criticised derogatory political remarks targeting women and invoked the abuse and humiliation Jayalalithaa faced during the 1989 Tamil Nadu Assembly episode.The BJP MP, who portrayed Jayalalithaa in the 2021 biopic Thalaivii, referred to the humiliation of the former chief minister and actor while speaking about the treatment of women in public life. “In Tamil Nadu, we have seen that a very renowned actress was targeted for her relations,” she said. #WATCH | Kullu, Himachal Pradesh: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut says, "We all know that this is not limited to India; it exists across the world. Whether a woman is working, successful, a leader, or in a position of power or authority, she is always brought down by attacking her pic.twitter.com/9ExFpvlXJD— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2026 Ranaut added that relationships involve two people, but women are often singled out for abuse and character attacks. “Relations are from both sides but only the woman is targeted for abuse, ‘cheer haran’ (disrobing) and character assassination,” she said.“We all know that this is not restricted to India alone and is prevalent worldwide that characters of working women, successful women, actors, politicians, women in the position of power and authority is targeted to bring her down,” Ranaut said. Ranaut further questioned society’s attitude towards women and whether women are truly respected despite their achievements and positions.“We as a society should look into our self that how do we look at women and do we really respect them or not,” she added.What did Vijay say in the Assembly?Vijay, while speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, criticised personal attacks, double-meaning insults and derogatory remarks targeting women in politics. His remarks came amid a controversy over comments attributed to DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, which were perceived as being aimed at actor Trisha, though the DMK has disputed that interpretation.Ranaut, meanwhile, brought up the alleged humiliation faced by Jayalalithaa in the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1989 while speaking about the broader issue of women being targeted through character assassination.- EndsPublished On: Sep 8, 2026 16:38 IST