A five-time MLA, former higher education minister, and trusted aide to three generations of DMK leadership, K Ponmudy was removed as the party’s deputy general secretary on Friday. The veteran leader was removed after a video clip in which he was seen making derogatory remarks about women and crude references to Hindu religious symbols went viral.
While Ponmudy continues as Tamil Nadu’s Forest Minister, the party’s decision marks a swift fall from grace for the DMK heavyweight with a flair for ideological battles who has long been seen as one of the most articulate, if often controversial, voices within the DMK. For a party built on ideological assertion, Ponmudy’s sacking sent out the message that “some red lines still exist”, said party insiders.
On April 6, Ponmudy spoke with the zeal of an old-timer at an event in Chennai that the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) hosted to mark the centenary of Dravidian movement orator Tiruvarur Thangarasu. The minister recalled a “pattimandram” — a spirited Tamil-style debate — from decades ago in which there was a derogatory reference to how Shaivites and Vaishnavites apply religious marks on their foreheads. He spoke of one such event in Coimbatore, which was billed as “adults only” and had paid entry. As he began referring to the topic, a TPDK leader on stage was seen signaling him to skip it. But Ponmudy went ahead and shared the joke. He also turned to the women in the audience and asked them not to misunderstand him.
But the “joke” didn’t land, and an edited clip of the speech surfaced online within two days. Even as the organisers of the event and those who listened to the speech tried to argue that Ponmudy’s remarks were “taken out of context” and that he was recalling what had been said in the past, a Saiva outfit called the Saiva Chithantha Kazhagam came out with a statement on Thursday strongly condemning the speech. By Friday morning, it had exploded across social media.
DMK deputy general secretary and MP Kanimozhi publicly condemned the remarks. “Regardless of the reasons, such vulgar speech is unacceptable,” she said in a social media post. In a few hours, party chief and Chief Minister M K Stalin stripped Ponmudy of his post and replaced him with Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva.
The party issued no explanation, just a brief statement: “Deputy General Secretary of the party K Ponmudy is being relieved from the post.” A top DMK minister close to Ponmudy said he would soon come before the media and give an “unconditional apology” to the public.
Outgoing state BJP president K Annamalai pounced on the opportunity. “This is DMK’s standard of political discourse in Tamil Nadu,” he wrote in a social media post, tagging Stalin. “Thiru Ponmudy was once the Higher Education Minister of Tamil Nadu and is now the Minister for Forests and Khadi, and the youth of Tamil Nadu are expected to tolerate this filth? … DMK’s relentless attacks on the pillars of Hindu Dharma (Saivam & Vainavam) won’t go unanswered forever.”
Story continues below this ad
AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran, another rival, went further, demanding that Stalin remove Ponmudy from the Cabinet altogether. “Indecent remarks on women are condemnable,” he posted. “The Chief Minister must reconsider keeping him in the government.”
Education empire
Born in the state’s Villupuram region, Ponmudy came to politics not as an orator but as an academic. He was a government college lecturer before politics drew him in. His educational qualifications — three Master’s degrees, a B.Ed, and a PhD — earned him respect and gave weight to his speeches, even as he often strayed into controversies.
The minister’s family owns and runs a sprawling education empire — the Surya Group of Educational Institutions — covering engineering colleges, arts and science colleges, and polytechnic institutes. His sons, Gautham Sigamani (an MP) and Dr Ashok Sigamani (a doctor and cricket administrator), along with their wives, are active in the business.
Ponmudy’s political life was never far away from controversies. Whether it was mocking the state’s Governor in the Assembly or challenging central policies, his voice echoed louder than most. He was among the few DMK leaders to confront Governor R N Ravi face-to-face, famously asking why Tamils should learn Hindi when the language had only helped North Indians, in his words, “sell pani puris here”.
Story continues below this ad
Yet, it wasn’t ideological fire alone that defined his presence. In the Villupuram and Kallakurichi regions, Ponmudy commanded loyalty across communities, especially among minorities, becoming a key player in the DMK’s electoral calculus.
Even in the DMK, the latest episode has stung, coming as it does on the heels of another embarrassment: general secretary Duraimurugan had to apologise for using an inappropriate term to refer to people with disabilities.
In 2023, Ponmudy faced a night-long interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a mining case dating back to his 2006–2011 tenure as the minister for Mines and Minerals. The central agency searched four of his properties for over 13 hours and took him for questioning over alleged irregularities in allocating a red sand quarry in Vanur worth over Rs 28 crore.
However, for the 73-year-old minister from the Karunanidhi era, the April 6 speech has changed things, coming as a reminder of how the past can trip up the present. And it is not the first time Ponmudy has placed the party in the line of fire. He earlier made comments belittling women who used the ticket-less bus rides introduced by the Tamil Nadu government, drawing public backlash and warnings from party leadership. “Still, the party stood by him,” said a senior DMK minister.
Story continues below this ad
If fiery speeches are a political art form in Tamil Nadu, Ponmudy is a master of provocation. But this time, the veteran provocateur — admired by his supporters for his fearlessness and sharp tongue and criticised by his rivals for his reckless comments — appears to have misjudged matters.