‘Women can have multiple husbands in North India’: Tamil Nadu Minister Durai Murugan stokes controversy

Tamil Nadu minister Durai Murugan has stoked controversy after he said in a public address that North India has a tradition where a woman can have multiple husbands as he gave a reference of Draupadi – the main female protagonist of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. He also threatened to “cut off” tongues of those insulting Tamil.

His statement has come amid a row between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over implementation of three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP).

“In our culture, a man marries only one woman. However, in North India, a woman can have multiple husbands – sometimes five or even ten. Similarly, five men can marry one woman. This is their tradition. If one leaves, another takes their place,” Durai Murugan said, according to a video going viral on social media.

Pls note: Mint could not independently verify the developments 

As the Hindi row between the two governments continue to escalate, the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government replaced the Devanagari rupee ‘Rs’ symbol with a Tamil letter in its logo for the budget 2025-26, which will be tabled in the state Assembly on Friday.

The new budget logo now features the Tamil letter for ‘ரூ [Ru]’ from ‘rubai,’ replacing the Indian currency symbol used in the previous budget.

The logo also had the caption “everything for all”, indicating what the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) says is its inclusive model of governance.

The replacement of the ₹symbol also drew the ire of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Slamming the Stalin government’s move, BJP TN chief K Annamalai asked the chief minister how “stupid he could be to do it.”

“The DMK Government’s State Budget for 2025-26 replaces the Rupee Symbol designed by a Tamilian, which was adopted by the whole of Bharat and incorporated into our Currency. Thiru Udhay Kumar, who designed the symbol, is the son of a former DMK MLA. How stupid can you become, Thiru @mkstalin?” Annamalai said in a social media post.