The Impressive TimesNew Delhi, Mar 11,2025: Lawmakers from Tamil Nadu staged a protest outside Parliament on Tuesday, demanding the removal of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and an apology over his remarks against Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) members in the Lok Sabha.
The opposition MPs walked out in protest over Pradhan’s comments, which he later withdrew after the Lok Sabha was temporarily adjourned. Opposition parties returned to the House to question the government on issues such as the duplication of voter ID numbers, the National Education Policy (NEP), and the possible redrawing of Lok Sabha constituencies.
Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko condemned Pradhan’s remarks, stating they had deeply hurt Tamil Nadu lawmakers. He demanded an apology from the minister, adding, “Otherwise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should remove him from the cabinet.” Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee also supported the call for Pradhan’s apology.
DMK MP Kanimozhi reiterated the demand, urging the central government to release the pending funds for Tamil Nadu. She accused Pradhan of using “highly malicious, misleading, and defamatory” language against her and fellow DMK members. On Monday, she had formally submitted a privilege notice against the Union Minister.
Kanimozhi claimed that Pradhan’s remarks, including words like “misled,” “dishonest,” “undemocratic,” and “uncivilized,” were inappropriate and targeted DMK and its allies unfairly. Following the uproar, the Lok Sabha Speaker ordered the removal of an objectionable word used by Pradhan, after which he withdrew his remarks, acknowledging that he should not have made them.
The controversy erupted when Pradhan, responding to a DMK MP’s question during the Question Hour, accused the Tamil Nadu government of backtracking on its decision to implement the centrally sponsored PM SHRI scheme for government schools. His criticism triggered strong protests from the DMK and its allies, intensifying tensions between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government.
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