Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Dayanidhi Maran has sparked a political storm after making a controversial remark comparing the roles of women in Tamil Nadu and North India.
Speaking at a function at Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women in Chennai, Maran, a four-time MP, claimed that while women in North India are often expected to stay at home and bear children, Tamil Nadu encourages girls to pursue education and careers.
“Our girl students should be proud, and we are proud of them. That’s why we want girls to study. In northern states, girls are often told to stay at home and focus on household chores, but here we encourage our girls to study and progress,” Maran said.
Maran also referenced the Tamil Nadu government's laptop distribution scheme, noting that the beneficiaries use the devices to study and prepare for interviews. He credited the state's progress in women's education to the welfare initiatives of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, as well as his predecessors, Karunanidhi and Annadurai.
The BJP swiftly condemned Maran’s remarks, accusing him of lacking "common sense." Party leader Narayanan Thirupathy demanded that Maran apologise to the people of India, particularly the Hindi-speaking communities.
“I don’t think Dayanidhi Maran has any common sense. This is the problem. I strongly condemn his comments. He must apologise to the people of India, particularly the Hindi-speaking people, whom he has insulted by calling them uneducated and uncivilised,” Thirupathy said.
DMK leader TKS Elangovan, however, defended Maran’s controversial remark, saying there is nobody to fight for women’s rights in northern states.
"Here in Tamil Nadu, we fought for women and empowered them. We gave them education. We gave them employment. We have also reserved seats in government jobs. We have been working for the advancement of women's rights from the beginning. In the north, there is nobody to fight for the women. That's all," he said.
