A political controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu after a video of young women dancers performing in front of a state minister went viral on social media. According to reports, the controversial video was recorded during a birthday celebration for Udhayanidhi Stalin in Sivaganga district. The hired dancers can be seen performing before Minister S Periyakaruppan.
The opposition BJP condemned the incident as an “assault on Tamil culture and an insult to women’s dignity.” The AIADMK also criticised the ruling DMK, accusing its minister of allowing women to dance before him.
Questioning the purpose of holding public office, the BJP wrote on X, “Why occupy a government post only to indulge in entertainment and revelry? Senior ministers celebrating the birthday of someone who holds the Deputy Chief Minister’s position purely due to heredity, without any merit what greater example of servility could there be?”
The party further alleged that the event had been turned into an indecent spectacle. “How disgraceful is it to glorify such obscenity? Do these individuals have any right to speak about self-respect or rationalism?” it asked, claiming that women may hesitate to voice grievances if they must rely on leaders who “summon women in semi-nude attire, make them dance, and clap in amusement.”
The BJP added that with Tamil Nadu already facing law and order issues, health lapses, corruption, and administrative failures, it was “shameful” that leaders from the Chief Minister downward were focusing on such celebrations. “Even so, will these dancing feet ever stop?” the post remarked.
However, DMK sources denied that the minister instructed the women to dance, saying the performers stepped off the stage on their own and began dancing in front of him. They also claimed that similar performances had taken place during AIADMK events.
AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said the incident reflected the mindset of DMK leaders. He alleged this was not the first controversy involving Minister Periyakaruppan, recalling an incident from a decade ago. “This shows why the DMK does not treat women with dignity,” he added.
