Abusing Hindus has been a trademark for several Dravidian leaders, who seem ever ready to seize the microphone and stage to spew venom against Sanatana Dharma. On 4 August, Ramesh, a functionary of the Dravidar Kazhagam, called Hindus “sons of prostitutes” during a Christian gathering in Kumbakonam. The event was organised to protest the arrest of missionaries in Chhattisgarh over allegations of forced conversions of innocent tribal people.
The video of Ramesh’s speech quickly went viral on social media, drawing sharp criticism from various quarters. Upon seeing the video, Vasudevan, coordinator of the Federation of Hindu Associations, lodged a formal online complaint with the Tamil Nadu police, demanding immediate action against the speaker.
#TamilNadu | Ramesh, son of Peter and a Dravidar Kazhagam functionary from Kumbakonam, has made highly provocative and anti-Hindu remarks.
While quoting Periyar, he reportedly called Hindus ‘son of prostitutes.’
He stated it is ‘better to be a pallan, paraiah, Christian,… pic.twitter.com/5uYZIfLP19
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) August 6, 2025
According to reports, the gathering at the Old Fish Market in Kumbakonam was attended by members of various Christian denominations, political party leaders, and other organisations. The stated purpose was to condemn the arrest of two Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh, who were charged with human trafficking and forced religious conversions. Though now granted bail, their arrest sparked widespread outrage, supported by parties such as the Congress, Left, RJD, SP, TMC, DMK, VCK, NTK and others. Critics argue that these groups used the incident to paint the BJP as anti-minority while deflecting attention from the open proselytisation efforts by Christian organisations.
In his complaint dated August 5, Vasudevan stated: “I am the coordinator of the Federation of Hindu Associations. On the 4th, a public meeting was held to denounce the arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh. At this meeting, Ramesh, son of Peter and a Dravidar Kazhagam functionary, made highly disparaging remarks about Hindus. His video, which has gone viral, shows him calling Hindus ‘sons of prostitutes’, targeting the community specifically. Despite the presence of women in the audience, whose visible reactions reflected discomfort, he continued unabated. His words were offensive and constitute a blatant case of hate speech. The Supreme Court has repeatedly stressed that such speech has no place in a civilised society and must be dealt with sternly.”
Vasudevan further noted that freedom of expression is not absolute and cannot be used to provoke caste or communal tensions. He urged the DMK government to take appropriate legal action not only against Ramesh but also against all individuals present on stage who failed to stop or condemn the derogatory remarks.
“His speech has hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community and amounts to an outrageous attack on their dignity,” he added.
Ramesh reportedly justified his statement by quoting EV Ramasamy Naicker (Periyar), a tactic often employed to evade legal consequences. However, critics argue that this is part of a longstanding pattern of anti-Hindu rhetoric from Dravidian leaders.
Several past instances were also recalled by critics. In 2022, DMK MP A Raja, speaking at an event commemorating Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Veeramani’s 60 years as editor of Viduthalai, had said:
“As long as you are a Shudra, you are the son of a prostitute. As long as you are a Hindu, you are a Panchama (Dalit). As long as you are a Hindu, you will be untouchable. How many want to be a prostitute’s son? How many want to be untouchable? If only these questions were asked aloud, the roots of Sanatana Dharma can be destroyed.”
Similarly, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, in a 2020 webinar on “Periyar and Feminism”, had claimed that ‘Manu Dharma’ considers women to be prostitutes by nature. He stated: “All Hindu women are ‘prostitutes’ according to Sanatana Dharma. If one were to examine how women are valued, treated, and exploited under Sanatana Dharma… what does it really say about women?”
Despite multiple complaints filed against such anti-Hindu remarks, critics point out that Tamil Nadu police have consistently failed to act against leaders from parties like DMK, VCK, or against Christian evangelists. In contrast, action is often swiftly taken against social media activists, especially those affiliated with the BJP or Hindu organisations, or those who criticise Chief Minister Stalin, his family, or members of the minority community. This selective approach, they allege, exposes the police’s evident bias.
