A political storm erupted in Tamil Nadu after AIADMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP CVe Shanmugam made a shocking remark comparing women to election freebies, drawing widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum and civil society. Speaking at an AIADMK booth committee training session, Shanmugam suggested that future election promises could include giving away “a wife for free,” alongside items such as mixers and cows.
He claimed such offers could come from Chief Minister MK Stalin, whom he referred to as “Karunanidhi’s son.”
DMK, CPM Demand Accountability
The statement triggered immediate backlash. DMK Minister Geetha Jeevan condemned the comment as “inhumane and degrading,” saying, “C.Ve. Shanmugam is even unqualified to exist fundamentally as a human being.” She accused the AIADMK of exposing its “crookedness and cruelty towards women” through such remarks.
அதிமுகவுக்குப் பெண்கள் மீது இருக்கும் வக்கிரமும் வன்மமும் வெளிப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. ஓர் அரசியல்வாதியாக அல்ல. அடிப்படையில் ஒரு மனிதராகவே இருப்பதற்குக் கூட தகுதியற்றவர் சி.வி.சண்முகம்.
– மாண்புமிகு அமைச்சர் திருமதி @geethajeevandmk அவர்கள்#AdmkFails pic.twitter.com/PqXmABMK5s
— DMK (@arivalayam) October 14, 2025
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The DMK defended its record on women’s empowerment, citing several welfare schemes under the Dravidian model of governance, including the free bus travel scheme for women.
CPM state secretary P Shanmugam also condemned the AIADMK leader’s remarks, calling them “deeply offensive” and reflective of a “male chauvinistic mindset that treats women as objects”, as reported by DT Next. He demanded that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami take disciplinary action against Shanmugam, noting that such statements from a sitting Member of Parliament were “unacceptable.”
Critics questioned the lack of response from AIADMK’s top leadership, particularly Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), accusing him of failing to uphold moral accountability. Political observers noted that former AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa would likely have removed any leader who made such remarks.
