DMK Minister Removed from Party Post Over Vulgar Remarks on Hindu Tilaks
Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K Ponmudi has been removed from his party position as Deputy General Secretary of the DMK after facing severe backlash for making offensive remarks linking Hindu religious marks to sexual positions.
The controversy erupted after a video of Ponmudi’s speech at a public event went viral. In the video, the senior DMK leader is heard making a crude analogy involving Hindu religious tilaks pattai and naamam commonly associated with Shaivism and Vaishnavism respectively.
“Women, please don’t misunderstand,” Ponmudi begins, before recounting a joke in which a sex worker asks a man whether he is a Shaivite or Vaishnavite, referring to the positioning preferences in sexual acts. The remarks triggered widespread criticism for being disrespectful and vulgar.
Prominent DMK MP Kanimozhi publicly condemned the minister’s remarks. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), she stated, “Minister Ponmudi’s recent speech is unacceptable. Regardless of the reason for the speech, such vulgar remarks are condemnable.”
The opposition, including BJP leaders, seized the opportunity to slam the ruling party. Actor and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar directly addressed Chief Minister MK Stalin on social media, questioning whether the party endorsed such statements. “Will you ever have the guts to throw him out of his chair and position?” she wrote, accusing the DMK of repeatedly insulting women and Hinduism.
Playback singer Chinmayi Sripaada also joined the chorus of criticism, saying, “This is a joke. The joke is on us,” and calling for divine justice.
Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT cell, framed the controversy as part of a larger pattern of alleged disrespect toward Hinduism by opposition parties. “Whether it’s DMK, Congress, TMC, or RJD, members of the I.N.D.I. Alliance seem united not by ideology, but by a shared disdain for Hindu beliefs,” he commented.
In response to the escalating outrage, the DMK acted quickly by relieving Ponmudi of his party duties. The party has appointed senior leader Tiruchi N Siva as the new Deputy General Secretary in his place.
This is not the first time the DMK has been accused of making disparaging comments about Hinduism. Earlier, Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks about Sanatan Dharma had drawn similar criticism.
While Ponmudi continues to hold his ministerial portfolio, the party’s decision to strip him of his organisational post signals an effort to contain the damage and distance itself from the controversy.
