Tamil Nadu Forest Minister and senior DMK leader K. Ponmudi has issued a public apology after a video of his derogatory remarks against Hindu traditions and women went viral, triggering widespread condemnation across political and civil society circles. But critics say the apology comes too late and is nothing more than a damage-control exercise.
“I sincerely apologize for the inappropriate language I used during the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam meeting,” Ponmudi said in a written statement. “I deeply regret making such a misstep in public life, which spans several decades.”
However, as many are pointing out — this is not a slip of the tongue, but a symptom of a deeper, more dangerous ideological arrogance that has festered within the DMK for years.
On April 6, during a closed-door meeting organized by the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, Ponmudi was caught on video making vulgar, disrespectful comments against women. Addressing an audience that included hundreds of women, the minister made crude references that not only demeaned women but also ridiculed Hindu symbols.
The video, once leaked, sparked outrage on social media and among the public, leading to a massive internal embarrassment for the ruling DMK. Chief Minister M K Stalin, under mounting pressure, announced Ponmudi’s removal from the party post of Deputy General Secretary. However, Ponmudi continues to enjoy Cabinet status — a move that has drawn severe backlash and accusations of hypocrisy.
BJP leader K. Annamalai also lashed out at the DMK leadership, calling Ponmudi’s remarks symptomatic of a much deeper malaise within the party:
“This is DMK’s standard of political discourse in Tamil Nadu,” Annamalai wrote on X.
“Thiru Ponmudi was once the Higher Education Minister of Tamil Nadu & now Minister for Forests and Khadi, and the youth of Tamil Nadu are expected to tolerate this filth? Not just this Minister, the entire DMK ecosystem is vulgar, foul-mouthed, and uncouth. Hang your head in shame, Thiru @mkstalin, for leading such a disgraceful pack.”
This is DMK’s standard of political discourse in Tamil Nadu. Thiru Ponmudi was once the Higher Education Minister of Tamil Nadu & now Minister for Forests and Khadi, and the youth of Tamil Nadu are expected to tolerate this filth? Not just this Minister, the entire DMK ecosystem… pic.twitter.com/ENMq47hiPf
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) April 11, 2025
Even within the DMK, voices of dissent surfaced. Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi distanced herself from the remarks and condemned them. But strikingly, the DMK’s national ally — the Congress party — has maintained complete silence.
BJP’s CR Kesavan questioned the Congress high command’s inaction:
“Why has neither Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi nor Sonia Gandhi condemned Ponmudi’s perverted remarks? Is their silence tacit approval?”
Why has neither Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi nor Sonia Gandhi condemned the perverted remaks of Ponmudi insulting Hindu faith and women? Does their silence mean they are approving the perverse remarks of this vile individual? The Congress had remained silent when DMK talked… https://t.co/qqvsLl2bBq
— C.R.Kesavan (@crkesavan) April 12, 2025
He also reminded the public of the Congress’s inaction when DMK leaders previously referred to Sanatana Dharma as “dengue” and “AIDS.” “The Congress-DMK alliance continues to mock Hindu beliefs with impunity,”
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi too criticized minister Ponmudi for controversial remarks about women.
பெண்கள் குறித்து சர்ச்சைக்குரிய வகையில் பேசிய அமைச்சர் பொன்முடியை விமர்சித்த ஆளுநர் ஆர்.என்.ரவி#RNRavi | #Ponmudy | #DMK pic.twitter.com/3T689AMbjP
— PttvOnlinenews (@PttvNewsX) April 12, 2025
In a strongly-worded statement, Vishwa Hindu Parishad North Tamil Nadu condemned Ponmudi’s speech as a deliberate attack on Hindu traditions and womanhood.
“K. Ponmudi, while speaking in a DMK event on April 6 in front of 100s of women, used cheap and vulgar words to demean Hindu Symbols,” the VHP said. “This cannot be tolerated in any civil society.”
“If CM Stalin truly believes in the secularism he preaches, he must remove Ponmudi from the Ministry. Just removing him as Deputy General Secretary is a political eyewash.”
In a deeply personal rebuttal, the VHP reminded Stalin that his own wife, Smt. Durga Stalin, is seen applying Thiruneeru and Kumkumam, and that Ponmudi’s speech is also an attack on the dignity of the Chief Minister’s household.
The VHP announced statewide protests beginning April 15 and vowed to escalate the movement nationwide:
“We will expose DMK’s pseudo-secularism and take this fight across Bharat. The continuation of this DMK government is an insult to Hindus and to the spirit of Bharat. K. Ponmudi must resign — or be sacked.”
This is not the first time the DMK has found itself at odds with Hindu traditions. From Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s infamous call to “eradicate Sanatana Dharma” to repeated slurs against Hindu gods and practices by DMK affiliates, the party has built a track record of offending the majority community under the guise of rationalism.
