Addressing students at Quaid-e-Millath Government College for Women in Chennai, Maran said that in several North Indian states, girls are discouraged from pursuing education and employment and are instead expected to remain confined to household work. He contrasted this with Tamil Nadu, which he said has consistently prioritised girls’ education and women’s empowerment.
“Our students should be proud. Here, we want our girls to study and work,” Maran said, while highlighting the role of education in social progress. His comments were made during a function attended by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who distributed laptops to students under the state government’s ‘Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil’ scheme.
The event saw around 900 students receive laptops as part of the initiative aimed at improving digital access and academic opportunities for women. Speaking on the occasion, Udhayanidhi Stalin said educated women form the backbone of a progressive society. He added that the state government had sanctioned ₹2.5 crore for the programme at the college and reiterated the government’s target of distributing laptops to 10 lakh students across Tamil Nadu during the year.
However, Maran’s remarks triggered a strong reaction from the BJP. Party leader Thirupathi Narayanan accused the DMK MP of making sweeping and insensitive generalisations about North India. “These statements show a lack of common sense. He should apologise to the people of India, particularly the Hindi-speaking population,” Narayanan said, condemning the comments.
The DMK, meanwhile, closed ranks behind Maran. Senior party leader TKS Elangovan defended the MP, stating that women’s empowerment and access to education remain uneven across the country. He said Tamil Nadu has historically invested in women’s education, employment opportunities and social justice measures, including reservations, to improve gender equity.
Elangovan cited literacy data to support his argument, noting that Tamil Nadu’s female literacy rate stands at about 73.44 percent, higher than that of several North Indian states. According to Census figures, female literacy in Uttar Pradesh is 57.18 percent, Rajasthan 52.12 percent and Haryana 65.94 percent, while Himachal Pradesh records 75.93 percent.
The exchange has once again highlighted the sharp political and ideological divide between the DMK and BJP, particularly on issues of regional identity, social development and governance models. While the BJP has demanded an apology, DMK leaders maintain that the remarks were intended to underline Tamil Nadu’s policy focus on women’s education rather than target any specific region.
