Dravidianist sympathizer and former scientist Ponraj Vellaichamy and a former aide to APJ Abdul Kalam, currently seen as aligned with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has come under intense criticism for making derogatory remarks about women supporters of actor-turned-politician Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
In an interview to a private YouTube channel, Ponraj made controversial statements targeting Vijay’s fan base. He said: “One very big truth that I have come to know is this – Tamil Nadu is an educated state. Tamil Nadu has a high literacy rate. Tamil Nadu is a state renowned for educational attainment. Tamil Nadu has the highest Gross Enrolment Ratio in all of India. The Chief Minister has been conducting event after event, celebrating Tamil Nadu as an educationally excellent state. But in this same Tamil Nadu – we must actually thank Vijay for revealing to the world that such an illiterate mob exists here. What a mob of illiterates! A mob gone completely out of control. An unrestrained, shameless mob. Women saying ‘I don’t need my husband – I only want Vijay.’ A prostitute mob. Women saying ‘We will marry Vijay anna – even if he is our anna (elder brother), we will still be his anna, we will be his younger sister, we will be his elder sister, we will be his wife’ – such a crowd of prostitutes, a mob of illiterates filled with such fans exists here. For exposing this to the world, we must come and applaud Vijay.”
The comments triggered widespread outrage among TVK cadres, political observers, and sections of the public, with many condemning the use of abusive language against women in political discourse.
Refusal to Apologise
Amid growing backlash, Ponraj declined to retract his statements or issue an apology. In a follow-up interaction with ABP News, when asked about the criticism, he defended his remarks.
When questioned about whether such language was appropriate, he responded: “What else should people who talk like that be called? That’s what they should be called.”
He added: “If someone says, ‘I will be your sister, younger sister, or wife,’ what does that mean? What kind of a degraded group has been created like this? If we keep encouraging this, where will it end?”
However, when pressed on generalising such remarks to all supporters, Ponraj clarified: “Whoever says such things – only they are like that.”
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