An ally of the central government Monday filed a defamation suit here against actress Khushboo for her comments on pre-marital sex, which it said, denigrated Tamil women.

The heartthrob of the '90s has been at the centre of a raging controversy here for her comments on female sexuality in the Tamil edition of 'India Today' magazine, which published a survey on the subject last week.

Pattali Makkal Katchi's (PMK) central Chennai district women's wing leader Deepam Jaikumar filed a civil suit in a metropolitan magistrate's court seeking action against the actress under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

"Khushboo has tarnished the image of Tamil women, making them hang their heads in shame," she said. The PMK is an ally of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

Parties like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) and a section of the Tamil film fraternity have also begun protests in front of her house here, demanding an apology for her remarks.

An effigy of the actress was burnt in Salem with many groups demanding that she should leave the state.

Khushboo, who was in Singapore, rushed back to Chennai Monday and apologised, saying she could never dream of tarnishing the image of the people of the state.

"I have great regard for Tamils, especially women. If my remarks have hurt anybody's feelings, I tender an apology. I am one among you and will always remain with you," she said in a statement.

"Even in films, I never accepted roles which lowered the image of women", she averred.

There is heavy police posting outside her house.

Khushboo, who currently hosts television shows on several Tamil channels, spearheaded an agitation recently against director-producer Thankar Bachan for his comments that "women who acted mainly for money were like prostitutes."

Bachan later tendered an apology.

Khushboo, a Maharashtrian is married to Tamil actor-director Sundar and has settled down here.

She told the magazine that pre-marital sex is okay "provided safety measures are followed to prevent pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases."

She also said, "No educated man today would expect his wife to be a virgin."