Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court, on Thursday, April 17, directed the Tamil Nadu police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Forest Minister K Ponmudy for his controversial speech on Shaivism and Vaishnavism. The Court warned that it would initiate suo motu action if the police failed to act.
“When the Minister himself has admitted to the speech and expressed regret, and a video of the same is available in the public domain, there is no escape from registering an FIR. Law is for everybody. When the government takes hate speeches by others seriously, the same must be done when a Minister himself makes it,” Justice Venkatesh observed.
The judge was hearing a plea regarding the Minister’s remarks. He noted that a complaint has already been filed with the police and made it clear that “only one FIR needs to be registered — don’t register multiple FIRs, just proceed with the process.”
Granting time for the Advocate General to obtain instructions from the police, the court adjourned the hearing to April 23, 2025.
The case stems from a widely circulated video of Minister Ponmudy making crude, sexually loaded and vulgar remarks about Shaivism and Vaishnavism during a recent public speech. The backlash was swift, even from within his own party. DMK MP Kanimozhi condemned the comments, calling them “vulgar and unacceptable,” regardless of context or intent.
As the controversy gained traction, DMK President and Chief Minister MK Stalin announced on April 11 that Ponmudy would be removed from his post as Deputy General Secretary of the party.
This isn’t the first time the Ponmudy has courted controversy. Earlier, during a convocation address at Bharathiar University in Coimbatore, he remarked that Hindi-speaking migrants mostly “sell pani puri,” sparking accusations of regional chauvinism and xenophobia.