Chennai, April 12 -- K Ponmudy, former Deputy General Secretary of DMK, on Saturday apologized for his alleged derogatory and "vulgar" remarks against women and certain sects of Hinduism.

Ponmudy said that he "immediately" regretted his "inappropriate" remarks.

"I sincerely apologize for the inappropriate words I used while speaking at an event organized by the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam. I immediately felt deep regret for the inappropriate remarks I had made. As someone who has been in public life for a long time, I am deeply sorry for this lapse in judgment. I regret that my speech caused hurt to many and created an embarrassing situation for them. I once again offer my heartfelt apologies to everyone who was hurt by my words,...