CHENNAI: Senior DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy's purported remarks on Shaivism and Vaishnavism have drawn criticism, including from his party MP Kanimozhi.
The BJP slammed the minister and demanded his sacking from the MK Stalin-led state cabinet.
A video of the minister making the purported remarks has gone viral. There was no immediate response from Ponmudy, the state Forest minister.
"Minister Ponmudy continuing in his post is shameful.... CM Stalin, will you order Ponmudy's arrest," Narayanan Thirupathy, Vice-President of the BJP's TN unit said in a social media post.
He has maligned the women of Tamil Nadu with his comments, the BJP leader alleged.
Kanimozhi also hit out at her party colleague. She said, "The recent speech of minister Ponmudy is not acceptable."
"For whatever reason he had spoken, such vulgar words are condemnable," she said in a post on 'X.'
Thirupathy welcomed Kanimozhi criticising Ponmudy.
Ponmudy had earlier courted controversy, linking north Indians with selling pani puri.
Taking a dig at those who insist jobs will be available for those who learn Hindi, he had wondered who are selling pani puri in the city (Coimbatore) now, an obvious reference to the predominantly Hindi-speaking vendors involved in the trade.