Overview
- Speaking at a Chennai women’s college, Dayanidhi Maran said girls in several northern states are told to stay home, work in kitchens and bear children, contrasting that with Tamil Nadu encouraging education and careers.
- The remarks came during a Tamil Nadu laptop-distribution event at Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women, where 900 final-year students received devices under the Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil scheme funded at ₹2.5 crore.
- The BJP called the statements derogatory toward Hindi-speaking states, with spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy demanding an unconditional apology and leaders including Tamilisai Soundararajan criticizing the DMK MP; no apology was reported.
- DMK leader TKS Elangovan defended the comments as advocacy for women’s empowerment, saying Tamil Nadu has long advanced education and employment for women and claiming there is little comparable push in the north.
- Maran also criticized what he described as ‘Hindi-only’ education and discouraging English, arguing it limits opportunities and drives migration, as reports cited 2011 Census data showing Tamil Nadu’s female literacy rate outpaces several northern states.