"I'm not ashamed, perpetrator needs to be...": Khushbu Sundar

CHENNAI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and a member of the National Commission for Women Khushbu Sundar said that she was sexually abused by her father and she is not ashamed about the incident as she came out with honesty. "I have not made a startling statement. I think that was an honesty which I have come out with. I am not ashamed of what I have said because this has happened to me and I think the perpetrator needs to be ashamed for what he has done," the BJP leader told ANI when asked about her statement about being sexually abused by her father at the age of eight.

Sundar further said that with her revelation she wants women to speak about what has happened to them. "I think I need to send the message across that you have to be strong and take control of yourself and not let anything bring you down or think that this is the end of the road. If I have taken so many years to speak about it, I think women need to speak about it and tell them this has happened to me and I will continue my journey, no matter what," she added.

BJP national executive committee member Sundar was recently nominated as a member of the National Commission for Women, alongside two others. The order came in an official notification by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It said the appointment on the post will be for a period of 3 years or till attaining the age of 65 years or till further orders, whichever is earlier.

After marking a long stint in the acting industry, Khushbu joined politics with DMK in 2010. After serving 4 years in the party she joined Indian National Congress. She quit Congress as well after 6 years of service to the party and joined BJP on October 12, 2020 (the day she quit Congress).

She went on to contest the election on BJP's ticket in the 2021 Tamil Nadu election, however, failed to secure the seat after losing to rival DMK's Ezhilan N.