A Hindu organisation has filed a petition against the Dravidar Kazhagam functionary, Ramesh, who referred Hindus as “sons of prostitutes” during a Christian gathering in Kumbakonam on 4 August 2025. The event was organised to protest the arrest of Catholic missionaries in Chhattisgarh over allegations of forced conversions among tribal communities.
In the video the Dravidar Kazhagam functionary said, “The reason, what they (the opposition) give is they are converting people. This very idea is a fraudulent one. Today, people are clear. If a person from one religion wants to go to another religion, they think, they act, they fully internalize that idea, and if they wish, they go. No one is forced, compelled, given money, or given goods to do so… All these things they say are false accusations. They are snatching away freedom of expression. How is that? What accusation was leveled against Jesus Christ? When Jesus Christ was arrested and brought before the assembly, what did the arresting government say? They said, “He is inciting a revolution.” They made that same accusation then. And what are they doing today? Look. Fear is coming to the ruling class. That’s why they have imprisoned these sisters today. Rather than being an untouchable, rather than being a Pulaiyan, rather than being a Pallan, rather than being a Paraiyan, one can be a Christian. One can be a Muslim. We welcome it. Periyar said, “Rather than being the son of a prostitute, the son of a Devadasi in the Hindu religion, you should go to another religion as a self-respecting human being.”
#TamilNadu | “..Hindus are son of prostitutes..”
Ramesh, son of Peter and a Dravidar Kazhagam functionary from Kumbakonam, has made highly provocative and anti-Hindu remarks.
While quoting Periyar, he reportedly called Hindus ‘son of prostitutes.’
He stated it is ‘better to be… pic.twitter.com/d8hR5VEFwT
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) August 6, 2025
The video of Ramesh’s remarks quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage. In response, Vasudevan, coordinator of the Federation of Hindu Associations, submitted an official online complaint to the Tamil Nadu police, urging immediate action against the speaker.
The gathering, which took place at the Old Fish Market in Kumbakonam, included leaders from various Christian denominations, political parties, and other organisations. The stated purpose was to protest the arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh who faced charges related to human trafficking and forced religious conversions. While the nuns were later granted bail, their detention sparked political outrage, with parties such as Congress, Left, RJD, SP, TMC, DMK, VCK, and NTK highlighting the incident to portray the BJP as anti-minority. Critics argue that these parties aimed to deflect attention from proselytisation activities by Christian groups.
In his complaint, Vasudevan stated that Ramesh’s speech was highly offensive and specifically targeted Hindus. “I am the coordinator of the Federation of Hindu Associations. On the 4th, a public meeting was held to denounce the arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh. At this meeting, Ramesh, son of Peter and a Dravidar Kazhagam functionary, made highly disparaging remarks about Hindus. His video, which has gone viral, shows him calling Hindus ‘sons of prostitutes’, targeting the community specifically. Despite the presence of women in the audience, whose visible reactions reflected discomfort, he continued unabated. His words were offensive and constitute a blatant case of hate speech. The Supreme Court has repeatedly stressed that such speech has no place in a civilised society and must be dealt with sternly,” he said.
Vasudevan added that freedom of expression cannot be used to incite caste or communal tensions and urged the DMK government to hold Ramesh and others on stage accountable for failing to prevent or condemn his remarks.
Ramesh reportedly defended his statement by citing EV Ramasamy Naicker (Periyar), a tactic frequently employed to avoid legal consequences. Critics, however, argue that this reflects a long-standing pattern of anti-Hindu rhetoric from certain Dravidian leaders.
Past incidents are often cited to illustrate this trend. In 2022, DMK MP A. Raja reportedly remarked during a ceremony commemorating Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani that Shudras and Hindus were treated as untouchables and children of prostitutes. Similarly, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, in a 2020 webinar on “Periyar and Feminism,” claimed that Hindu women were considered “prostitutes” under Sanatana Dharma and highlighted their historical exploitation.
Critics argue that despite multiple complaints over such derogatory statements, Tamil Nadu police have rarely taken action against leaders from DMK, VCK, or Christian evangelists. By contrast, social media activists associated with Hindu organisations or those critical of Chief Minister Stalin or minority communities are often swiftly targeted. This selective approach, they claim, exposes an evident bias in law enforcement.
(With Inputs From Organiser)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.