DMK ousts forest minister K Ponmudy from key party post after controversial remarks on Shaivism and Vaishnavism

Mayilvaganan / TNN / Updated: Apr 11, 2025, 13:25 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has dismissed Forest Minister K Ponmudy from his post as DMK's deputy general secretary following public outcry over alleged offensive comments made about women at a recent party meeting. The controversial remarks triggered swift disciplinary action from the DMK leadership.

DMK ousts forest minister K Ponmudy from key party post after controversial remarks on Shaivism and Vaishnavism

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin has removed party deputy general secretary K Ponmudy from the post on Friday. Ponmudy has been replaced by the party's propaganda secretary Trichy Siva.

“Deputy general secretary of the party K Ponmudy is being relieved from the post,’�?said a cryptic statement from Stalin, without specifying the reason for his removal. Ponmudy, who is also the state forest minister, will continue to retain his ministerial berth.
The action comes in the wake of Ponmudy’s obscene remarks against women and his reference to Saivism and Vaishnavism in an objectionable manner at a public meeting held on April 6.

As video clips of his speech were circulated on social media drawing widespread condemnation, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, who is also a deputy general secretary, condemned Ponmudy for the remarks.
“Minister Ponmudy’s remarks are unacceptable. Such vulgar speeches are condemnable regardless of the reason they were spoken,’�?Kanimozhi said in a tweet.

BJP state president K Annamalai hit out at Ponmudy stating that this was DMK’s standard of political discourse in Tamil Nadu. “Not just this minister, the entire DMK ecosystem is vulgar, foul-mouthed, and uncouth,’�?he said in a social media post.
“DMK’s relentless attacks on the pillars of Hindu Dharma (Saivam & Vainavam) won’t go unanswered forever,’�?he said, adding that chief minister M K Stalin shouldn’t take the silence of Hindus for weakness.
In an unrelated development, DMK general secretary Duraimurugan expressed regret for using an inappropriate term while referring to differently abled individuals at an event. In a statement, he said that Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had pointed out his poor choice of words.
“It was Kalaignar (late chief minister M. Karunanidhi) who coined the term maatru thiranaligal (differently abled). But I was shocked and saddened to realise that I had used an offensive term while referring to the differently abled,�?Duraimurugan said. “It was a serious mistake. I offer my unconditional apology for it,�?he added.

End of Article