In Chennai, the AIADMK party and its allies organized a protest aimed at showcasing unity and putting pressure on the DMK over women’s safety issues. However, the event took a controversial turn when senior AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam made inappropriate remarks about a leading actress during his speech. Speaking at the protest in Villupuram, Shanmugam criticized Chief Minister M K Stalin’s “Ungal Kanavu Sollunga” (Tell Us Your Dream) initiative, which encourages people to share their aspirations and helps fulfill them.
While Shanmugam drew parallels with former President A P J Abdul Kalam’s call to “dream big,” he humorously extended the idea by linking it to an actress. His comment was met with mixed reactions—some on stage laughed, and a section of AIADMK supportersapplauded the remark. However, others saw it as completely out of place at a protest focused on women’s safety. Critics slammed the remark for being sexist and irrelevant to the main issue.
The ruling DMK party and its IT wing quickly seized on the opportunity to criticize the opposition, sharing the controversial remarks online. This isn’t the first time Shanmugam has faced backlash for making personal or inappropriate comments during public events, even when addressing serious issues like women’s safety.
The incident has further divided opinions about the AIADMK’s protest and raised questions about their commitment to the cause they were fighting for. While the party aimed to highlight women’s safety, Shanmugam’s remark distracted from the main issue and drew criticism for lacking seriousness and respect for the topic at hand.