TN Minister TRB Rajaa Sparks Row Over Remarks on Women in North India; BJP, Others Slam DMK

Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa has stirred controversy with his recent remarks comparing the status of women in Tamil Nadu to that in North India. Speaking at an event at Ethiraj College for Women, Rajaa claimed that Tamil Nadu had made significant progress in empowering women, unlike many northern states.

“There is a difference between being a woman in Tamil Nadu and in any other state in India. 100 years ago, Indian women were not even considered humans. The situation remains unchanged in North India. In North India, when we meet a woman, the first question is, ‘Where does your husband work?’ In Tamil Nadu, the question asked of a woman is, ‘Where do you work?’ This change didn’t happen overnight. It took a century of work, at least in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

His comments were backed by senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan, who added, “Women in North India are often confined to being housewives due to religious practices. They follow Manusmriti, which we don’t. The DMK government has always worked to empower women.”

However, the remarks drew sharp criticism from the BJP and other political leaders. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the DMK of repeatedly targeting North Indians. “First Congress insulted Bihar, then Revanth Reddy questioned the DNA of Bihar, and now this. Why is Tejashwi Yadav silent?” he asked on social media.

Tamilisai Soundararajan, former Telangana Governor and BJP leader, also condemned the remarks, calling them narrow-minded and divisive. “Even women of Tamil Nadu won’t accept this. How can you discriminate a mother? People should punish the DMK for this cheap type of politics,” she said.

This is not the first time the North vs South debate has surfaced in Tamil Nadu politics. Earlier this year, senior DMK minister Durai Murugan caused outrage by claiming North Indian culture allowed polyandry and polygamy, referencing Draupadi’s marriage to the Pandavas in the Mahabharata.

These statements have come at a time of heightened political sensitivity over issues like delimitation, language imposition, and regional identity, fuelling further tensions between political parties across the country.