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