CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin has removed party deputy general secretary K Ponmudy from the post on Friday. Ponmudy has been replaced by the party’s propaganda secretary Trichy Siva.

“Deputy general secretary of the party K Ponmudy is being relieved from the post,’’ said a cryptic statement from Stalin, without specifying the reason for his removal. Ponmudy, who is also the state forest minister, will continue to retain his ministerial berth.
The action comes in the wake of Ponmudy’s obscene remarks against women and his reference to Saivism and Vaishnavism in an objectionable manner at a public meeting held on April 6.
As video clips of his speech were circulated on social media drawing widespread condemnation, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, who is also a deputy general secretary, condemned Ponmudy for the remarks.
“Minister Ponmudy’s remarks are unacceptable. Such vulgar speeches are condemnable regardless of the reason they were spoken,’’ Kanimozhi said in a tweet.

BJP state president K Annamalai hit out at Ponmudy stating that this was DMK’s standard of political discourse in Tamil Nadu. “Not just this minister, the entire DMK ecosystem is vulgar, foul-mouthed, and uncouth,’’ he said in a social media post.
“DMK’s relentless attacks on the pillars of Hindu Dharma (Saivam & Vainavam) won’t go unanswered forever,’’ he said, adding that chief minister M K Stalin shouldn’t take the silence of Hindus for weakness.