'Women in north India not treated as humans': TN minister's remarks trigger north-south row

As the south vs north debate continues to rage across the country, Tamil Nadu industries minister TRB Rajaa sparked a new controversy by saying the identities of north Indian women, by and large, are tied to their husbands’ identities.

BJP leaders criticised his remarks and underscored that they showed DMK's narrow mindset and cheap politics.

Controversial remarks

In an event at Ethiraj College for Women, Rajaa said that women were not even treated as fellow human beings in India a century ago, and the tendency still remains unchanged in north India.

“You should be socially aware of this situation, especially if you are a woman. There is a difference between being a woman in Tamil Nadu and any other state in India,” he said, adding that women’s identities in north India were very much attached to their husbands and the households they belonged to.

“In north India, when we meet a woman, the first question would be about where her husband works and which household she belongs to. In Tamil Nadu, the question would be around her work and education. This change did not happen overnight. It took a century of work, at least in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

He further noted that among the women workforce in the organised sector across India, 43 per cent of women were from Tamil Nadu. But in many ways, he said, "when I come to think about it, the rest of the country is not giving enough importance to women".

BJP leaders condemn Rajaa

BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan condemned Rajaa’s remarks and said that he was spilling poison in the minds of children.

“Can his party make such statements in the Parliament?” she questioned, adding that if women leaders in the INDIA bloc, such as Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Supriya Sule, or Mamata Banerjee, would accept these words.

“This is DMK's cheap politics and narrow mindset," she noted.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla wrote on X, “Once again, DMK crosses the line - insults UP, Bihar and North India”. Besides quoting Rajaa’s quote in the post, he mentioned the controversial claims made by the INDIA bloc leaders in the past.

“Congress said Bihar is beedi, Revanth Reddy abused the DNA of Bihar, then DMK statements that people of Bihar clean toilets, and now this insult to Bihari and UP women. Why is Tejaswi Yadav silent?” he asked.

Once again, DMK crosses the line - insults UP, Bihar and North India

*Tamil Nadu Minister TRB Rajaa says, "There is a difference between being a woman in Tamil Nadu and in any other state in India. 100 years ago, Indian women were not even considered humans. The situation remains… pic.twitter.com/0bWFyKhDz9

— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) September 26, 2025