Tamil Nadu minister faces FIR for hate speech

Forest Minister K Ponmudi has landed in legal trouble over controversial remarks linking religion and sex work.

Transcript

00:00This Tamil Nadu's force minister K. Ponmodi faced legal heat for his controversial remarks

00:16against Saivites, Vaishnavites and women.

00:18On April 11, 2025, Madras High Court ordered an FIR against K. Ponmodi for allegedly making

00:25derogatory and hateful remarks.

00:30We going to see each other.

00:34He's telling us what happened.

00:37He's telling us that I can do it.

00:41He's telling us how to do it, as well as investing in the future.

00:47If they say anything else, we can always find ourselves who we are doing it.

00:54It all began on March 31 at a thanthai periyadravi dharavidaar kadagam event

00:59where Pornmori made a controversial speech.

01:01His remarks, linking shavism, Vaishnavism and sex work, triggered outrage across political lines.

01:07By April 1, DMK MP Kani Modi publicly criticized his statement.

01:12On the same day, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin removed Pornmori from the party's Deputy General Secretary post.

01:17But opposition parties weren't convinced.

01:20On April 2, protests were led by AIA DMK Women's Wing, demanding his images sacking from the cabinet.

01:27Their leader, Gayatri Raguram, called the action as an eyewash accusing DMK of shielding repeat offenders.

01:33Facing mounting pressure, Pornmori issued a public apology on April 6,

01:37admitting that he used inappropriate words and expressing deep regret.

01:42But the court wasn't done.

01:43On April 11, Justice Anand Venkatesh, taking Suomoto cognizance, said,

01:48The law is for everyone. Hate speech by ministers must be treated the same as anyone else's.

01:54The High Court has now directed the police to file an FIR and the matter is posted for further hearing on April 23.

02:00This isn't the first time Pornmori has stirred controversy.

02:03Over the years, he has faced criticism for making divisive and insensitive statements,

02:08raising concerns over a pattern of inflammatory rhetoric.

02:12In 2022, he referred to Hindi speakers in Tamil Nadu as North Indian invaders,

02:17drawing flak for stoking linguistic and regional divides.

02:20A minister, a hate speech, an apology, and now a court-ordered FIR.

02:25Will this set a precedent for equal accountability,

02:27or is it just the start of a new political storm in Tamil Nadu?