DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran’s comment over girls in north India has erupted a row. Speaking at an event at Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women in Chennai on Tuesday, Maran said that in several northern states, girls are often asked to stay at home and focus on household work, while Tamil Nadu actively encourages girls to pursue education and careers.
He credited the Dravidian movement and the policies of the DMK government for what he described as the state’s progress in women’s education.
“The laptops our government has distributed are used by the beneficiaries to study and give interviews. This is what we are proud of. This is the reason we in Tamil Nadu ask you to study. But in the states in northern India, women are told not to do jobs and are asked to stay inside the house, work in the kitchen and give birth to children. But Tamil Nadu is a Dravidian state, where importance is given to your upliftment," Maran told students.
Chennai Central Lok Sabha MP claimed that unlike some parts of North India, Tamil Nadu supports women working outside their homes and becoming financially independent.
Maran hails CM Stalin
Maran also praised Chief Minister MK Stalin, calling him the “best Chief Minister in India,” and described Tamil Nadu as the best-performing state in the country. He said the Dravidian model of governance, rooted in the ideas of social reformer Periyar, has consistently prioritised education for women and social equality.
According to Maran, the current government is continuing those principles through welfare and education-focused schemes.
The event was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who distributed laptops to 900 final-year students under the state government’s “Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil” scheme, aimed at improving digital access and employability among students.
