Tamil Nadu Industries Minister and DMK leader TRB Rajaa has sparked a political storm with remarks comparing the status of women in Tamil Nadu to those in other Indian states, particularly in North India.
Addressing an event at Ethiraj College for Women, Rajaa stated, “Don’t think that today, just because your parents are educating you, you are easily able to access education. In India, women did not get opportunities for education so easily. 100 years ago, there were unimaginable situations where women were not even considered equal human beings. This kind of situation exists in many parts of North India even now. You should be socially aware. Especially if you are a woman in India. There is a difference between being a woman in Tamil Nadu and in any other state in India. I will very very proudly say this. No other state is on par with Tamil Nadu in this regard. The situation remains unchanged in North India. Very simple question. In North India, when we meet a woman, the first question is, where does your husband work? In Tamil Nadu, the question asked of a woman is, where do you work? This change doesn’t happen overnight. It took a century of work, at least in Tamil Nadu.”
He argued that in Tamil Nadu, women are recognized and respected for their careers, whereas in many North Indian states, societal attitudes still focus primarily on a woman’s marital status.
Dear @PriyankaGandhi, @MamataOfficial, @supriya_sule, @RahulGandhi, @yadavakhilesh, @yadavtejashwi, @HemantSorenJMM, @ArvindKejriwal, Sonia Gandhi, Brinda Karat,
Do you endorse the statement made by DMK Minister @trbrajaa that women in North India are not considered as humans?… pic.twitter.com/iynvDEWJhM
— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) September 26, 2025
TRB Rajaa’s comments were backed by DMK senior leader TKS Elangovan, who said, “Women in North India are often confined to being housewives because of religious practices. They follow Manusmriti, which we don’t. The DMK government has always worked to empower women.”
TRB Rajaa has a history of derogating and abusing North Indians. He has used the slur “Vadakkan”, called them “undemocratic” and has frequently made disparaging remarks about North Indians in speeches and social media posts, contrasting them unfavorably with Tamil Nadu and Tamil culture.
(With inputs from India Today)
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