T.N. Deputy Speaker faces row over alleged assault of Thuraiyur resident for complaining about civic issue

TIRUCHI Tamil Nadu Assembly Deputy Speaker and Thuraiyur (SC) TVK MLA M. Ravishankar landed in a controversy on Monday (November 9, 2026) after a video surfaced in which a local resident alleged he was assaulted by the former for raising a civic issue. Police, however, said they had not received any complaint regarding the incident that allegedly took place on Sunday (November 8, 2026) night when the resident, Karthick Kumar, approached the MLA to complain about drinking water shortage and other civic issues in his locality in Tiruchi district.

A clip of a video showing the alleged assault went viral on social media platforms. The video, shot in the dark, shows a man assaulting another but does not show their faces clearly. The man, who says repeatedly that he had voted for ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay [Chief Minister and TVK leader], is seen being assaulted repeatedly by the other person and questioned about the name of his village.

Mr. Karthick Kumar, the Thuraiyur resident, on Monday (November 9, 2026) claimed to be the one being assaulted, and alleged he was assaulted by Mr. Ravishankar.