Following the outcry over his vulgar and controversial comments made at an event in public, Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy was removed from his post as Deputy General Secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday. His comments pertained to women and brought down derogatory remarks on key Hindu sects, Shiva and Vaishnaavites, drawing criticism from party colleagues, as well as other quarters.
DMK MP and senior leader Kanimozhi also questioned Ponmudy’s statements which she termed to be unacceptable. Regardless of the context, such people’s vulgar remarks are condemnable, she wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The DMK’s official statement did not offer the reason behind the replacement of Ponmudy but confirmed that MK Stalin had appointed senior leader Trichy Siva in place of Ponmudy as Deputy General Secretary.
Ponmudy is one of the most senior DMK ministers in the government. But recently, legal problems have made his political career foggy. Ponmudy, his son Gautham Sigamani,a Member of Parliament from Kallakurichi, and other family members of Ponmudy were questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2023. In this case, assets to the tune of more than ₹14 crore were attached. An MLA and minister, Kamalakannan was disqualified as an MLA and ejected from the Cabinet by the Madras High Court in a disproportionate assets case, but the Supreme Court in March 2024 suspended his conviction and sentenced, allowing him to come back to the government.
In a reaction to the controversy, BJP’s national IT cell chief Amit Malviya also accused the DMK of carrying on with the trend of Hindu bashing. Ponmudy’s offensive remarks, he said, mocked sacred Hindu symbols with crude sexual innuendos that are a deep offence to Shaivite and Vaishnavite communities.
It has heightened political tension just ahead of the elections.
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