DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran sparked a political controversy during an event in Chennai. He made comparison in attitudes toward girls’ education in northern India with that in Tamil Nadu. The comments were made at the Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women during a function where laptops were distributed to students under the Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil scheme. Many people found the comments as sexist and pointed out the underlying regional racism in the remark.
While speaking to the students, Maran emphasised Tamil Nadu’s commitment to girls’ education and career opportunities. He said, “Our girl students should be proud, and we are proud of them. That’s why we want girl children to study.” He went on to compare this intention with the attitude of northern states of India towards girls’ education. He said that, “In North Indian states, they ask girl children not to go to a job, ask them to stay inside the house and do housework and give birth. But we want our girl children to study.”
Maran also praised Tamil Nadu’s governance model and its leadership. He called his s state the top performer in the country, he referred to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin as “the best Chief Minister in India” and rooted his remarks in the ideological legacy of the Dravidian movement. He said, “This is a Dravidian model government, and it was our Periyar who ignited Dravidianism in our state. He emphasised that girls should study, and our Chief Minister is working based on those principles.”
Tamil Nadu BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy hits back at Maran
BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy strongly condemned DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran over his remarks, saying the statement was offensive and showed a lack of “common sense”.
Thirupathy demanded that Maran apologise to the people of India, particularly Hindi-speaking communities. He added that, , “I don’t think Dayanidhi Maran has any common sense. So this is the problem. I strongly condemn Dayanidhi Maran. He has to apologise to the people of India, particularly the Hindi-speaking people, whom he says are uneducated and uncivilised.”
The event was organised to distribute the laptops to around 900 final-year women students, this initiative is aimed at supporting their academic work. Tamil Nadu’s Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was also present and spoke about the government’s commitment to strengthening access to education and technology for girls. He said, “Today, I am happy to distribute laptops to all of you students. I wish you a very Happy New Year and Pongal.” He added, “It is often said that once girls complete their education, they contribute significantly to society. We are proud of all our girl students.”
Maran advised students to use the laptops effectively, staying focused on studies rather than limiting use to social media: “Everything provided to girl children should be used effectively.”
