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Tamil Nadu’s Forest Minister K Ponmudy has been removed from his position as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)’s Deputy General Secretary following a wave of criticism over his controversial speech containing vulgar references to women and Hindu religious symbols.
The DMK announced on Friday that senior leader Trichy Siva has been appointed as the new Deputy General Secretary. However, the party did not officially mention the reason behind Ponmudy’s removal.
The controversy erupted after a video of Ponmudy’s public speech went viral. In the clip, he is seen sharing a sexually explicit anecdote involving a man and a sex worker, laced with derogatory references to Shaivite and Vaishnavite religious tilaks—referring to them in sexual terms. He prefaced his speech with a casual disclaimer asking women in the audience not to “mistake him,” which only intensified the backlash.
DMK MP K Kanimozhi was among the first from within the party to condemn the remarks. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, “Minister Ponmudy’s recent speech is unacceptable. Regardless of the reason, such vulgar remarks are condemnable.”
BJP national IT cell chief Amit Malviya launched a scathing attack on the DMK, accusing it of continuing a pattern of disrespect toward Hindu beliefs. He linked Ponmudy’s comments to last year’s anti-Sanatan Dharma remarks by Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin. “Ponmudy took the baton forward by mocking sacred Hindu symbols and reducing them to crude innuendos,” Malviya said.
Malviya also reminded the public of Ponmudy’s past controversies, including a 2022 remark where he mocked Hindi-speaking migrants as mere “panipuri sellers.”
The outrage wasn’t limited to opposition voices. Actor and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar questioned Chief Minister MK Stalin’s commitment to women’s rights, challenging him to sack Ponmudy from his ministerial post. “Will you ever have the guts to throw him out of his chair and position?” she asked publicly.
Popular singer and women’s rights activist Chinmayi Sripada also reacted strongly, slamming the minister’s speech and the environment that allows such rhetoric. “This is a joke. The joke is on us,” she wrote on X, expressing dismay over the normalization of such comments in political settings.
Despite being removed from the party position, Ponmudy continues to hold his ministerial portfolio. His retention in Stalin’s cabinet has drawn criticism from various quarters demanding stronger action.
Ponmudy, one of the senior-most leaders in the DMK, was earlier embroiled in a legal case. In 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth ₹14 crore related to a money laundering probe involving him and his family. In March 2024, the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a disproportionate assets case, which had initially led to his disqualification and removal from the cabinet.
BJP state leader K Annamalai described the DMK’s behavior as “vulgar and uncouth,” and said Stalin should “hang his head in shame for leading this disgraceful pack.”
This controversy comes at a politically sensitive time for the DMK as it prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections. The party has been vocally opposing the BJP on various issues including the NEET exam, the ‘three-language formula’ in the National Education Policy, and the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies—especially fearing reduced representation for southern states.
President Droupadi Murmu recently rejected Tamil Nadu’s proposal for NEET exemption, which was another setback for the DMK-led government. Amidst this, Ponmudy’s latest remarks and the backlash have further complicated the ruling party’s position ahead of crucial elections.
The DMK now faces a dual challenge—managing internal dissent and defending itself against accusations of disrespecting religious sentiments and women’s dignity, even as political opponents amplify the scandal for electoral mileage.
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