The Madras High Court on Wednesday (23 April 2025) directed its Registry to take up a suo motu writ petition against Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K. Ponmudy over a derogatory speech allegedly targeting Saivites, Vaishnavites, and women. The court ordered that the matter be placed before Chief Justice K.R. Shriram for appropriate orders.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh, who issued the direction, observed that the Minister had “prima facie misused the liberty granted to him by the Supreme Court”, which had stayed his conviction and sentence in a corruption case, allowing him to remain in office.
“He owes his position as a Minister and enjoys the liberty by virtue of interim orders passed by the Supreme Court but has misused the liberty by making this highly derogatory speech,” the judge said.
The speech, a video clip of which has been circulating on social media, is alleged to have equated the pattai (a horizontal forehead mark worn by Saivites) and tiruman (a vertical forehead mark worn by Vaishnavites) to descriptions of sexual postures by a sex worker. Justice Venkatesh noted: “Prima facie, it is evident that the video demeaned the moral worth of sex workers particularly women and was calculated to subvert the harmony and peace among religious groups and various sects. Apart from being obscene, the speech also undoubtedly wounds the religious feelings of the Saivites and Vaishnavites and was aimed at insulting the Hindu religion and religious feelings of these groups.”
The judge expressed concern over the police’s inaction despite receiving at least three complaints in Chennai and Madurai. “The continued inaction and hesitation of the police in registering a FIR against the Minister is most distressing and unfortunate,” he said.
Justice Venkatesh reminded authorities of the Supreme Court’s 2014 judgment on hate speech and said it was imperative that law enforcement agencies act swiftly in such matters. He stressed that High Courts had a duty to ensure compliance with Supreme Court directions. “In matters concerning hate speech, there can be zero tolerance,” he stated, invoking Article 144 of the Constitution, which mandates all authorities to act in aid of the Supreme Court. “The Tamil Nadu police department is no exception to the constitutional position.”
Senior counsel P. Wilson, representing the State, submitted that the police had examined the complaints but did not find any offence made out. He added that a single judge and a Division Bench of the Madurai Bench had previously dismissed writ petitions related to the same issue. Wilson also questioned the source of the video clip that reached the judge and remarked, “These Sanghis are very popular in prejudicing the mind of the court.”
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Ponmudy, told the court that the controversial speech was delivered at a closed-door meeting organised by the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam. He claimed that the Minister had only repeated what had been said decades ago and had issued an apology only in reference to a truncated portion of the speech that was being circulated online.
The matter arose during the hearing of a suo motu revision petition taken up in 2023 by Justice Venkatesh against Ponmudy’s acquittal in another corruption case. The revision petition has now been adjourned to June 2025.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK has demanded that Ponmudy be removed from the Cabinet, citing the content of his speech and the lack of police action as grounds for immediate dismissal.
(With inputs from The Hindu)
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