AIADMK women's wing to hold protest against TN minister over derogatory remarks

Chennai, April 12 (IANS) AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, has announced that the party’s women’s wing will stage a protest on April 16 against Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K. Ponmudy for his alleged derogatory remarks against women.

The protest will take place near Panagal Maligai in Saidapet and will be led by former ministers B. Valarmathi and S. Gokula Indira, said Palaniswami.

Condemning the minister’s controversial speech, Palaniswami accused several DMK leaders of making disrespectful statements about women and religious beliefs.

He said Ponmudy’s remarks have deeply angered the people of Tamil Nadu, especially women.

“Ponmudy, who earlier held the Higher Education portfolio, has created widespread concern and outrage with his offensive speech. This protest is to strongly condemn his comments and emphasize that there is no place for indecent politics in the state,” he added.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) recently removed Ponmudy from his post as Deputy General Secretary following the backlash.

His remarks - made at a recent party workers’ meeting in Chennai - were perceived as vulgar and offensive towards the Shaivite and Vaishnavite communities.

DMK MP and senior leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi publicly denounced Ponmudy’s remarks, calling them “unacceptable.”

In a post on social media platform X, she wrote: “The recent speech of Minister Ponmudy is unacceptable. No matter the context, such vulgar speeches are condemnable.”

The controversy erupted after a video went viral in which Ponmudy was seen using a sexually explicit analogy involving a prostitute to mock religious practices.

He also ridiculed sacred Hindu symbols, describing the Shaivite horizontal tilak as a “lying down position” and the Vaishnavite vertical tilak as a “standing position,” reducing spiritual symbols to crude innuendos.

Singer and activist Chinmayi Sripada also criticised the minister, saying: “This is Forest Minister Ponmudy from Tamil Nadu. He previously held portfolios like Science and Technology and Education. He describes this as a ‘joke’ because there’s a market for such speeches in public gatherings. The joke, sadly, is on us.”

The BJP, too, condemned Ponmudy’s comments, with Tamil Nadu Vice-President Narayanan Thirupathy demanding the minister’s removal from the cabinet.

“Minister Ponmudy continuing in his post is shameful. CM Stalin, will you order Ponmudy’s arrest? He has maligned the women of Tamil Nadu with his comments,” Thirupathy said, while also welcoming Kanimozhi’s condemnation.

This is not the first time Ponmudy has drawn criticism. In a previous instance, he had sparked outrage by linking North Indian migrants to the sale of pani puri in Coimbatore, suggesting that those who advocate learning Hindi end up in low-paying jobs.

Despite being removed from his senior party post, Ponmudy has not issued any public apology or statement on his comments.

--IANS

aal/dan