Madras HC judge questions T.N. Minister Ponmudy over derogatory remarks against women, religious sects

Madras HC judge questions T.N. Minister Ponmudy over derogatory remarks against women, religious sects

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court on Thursday (April 17, 2025) questioned Forest Minister K. Ponmudy over his derogatory public speech against Saivites, Vaishnavites, and women in general, and sought to know what criminal action had been taken against him by the Tamil Nadu police.

The judge called for Advocate General P.S. Raman, during the hearing of a suo motu revision petition taken up in 2023 against the acquittal of Mr. Ponmudy from a disproportionate assets case, and expressed displeasure over the Minister making such deprecatory remarks against women and religious denominations.

Referring to videos of the speech being circulated on social media, the judge said the Minister appeared to have made those remarks with full consciousness, and they did not appear to be a slip of the tongue for him to simply brush aside the entire issue by offering a public apology.

Justice Venkatesh pointed out that the Supreme Court had come down heavily on hate speeches and said, even Mr. Ponmudy’s conviction and sentence in yet another disproportionate assets case had been suspended by the apex court on certain conditions of good conduct.

Stating that the order suspending his sentence could be revoked by the court for having violated the conditions imposed on him, the judge asked the A-G to verify from the Director General of Police, by Thursday evening, with respect to the steps that had been taken so far against the Minister.