‘Pickle Selling Mami,’ ‘Goddess Of Misfortune’: Speaker At DMK Event Uses Casteist Jibe And Abusive Language For Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Coimbatore South, Vanathi Srinivasan, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) stated that a police complaint would be filed and appropriate action would be taken against Kavignar Iniyavan, for using derogatory words while speaking about Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at an event organised by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Inivayan had said, “If we send our (DMK) ladies to the Parliament with a margin of 2.5 lakh votes, there will be one ‘Moodhevi Munda’ sitting opposite to you and will ask you questions. That one (implying Nirmala Sitharaman) will not even stand in a single election. I have just one request. Hon’ble Members of Parliament, when you go to the Parliament and if that ‘pickle-selling mami’ comes and stands in front of you, tell her this — I’ve come here after winning 2.5 lakh votes, you talk if you can get one vote from Perungudi.”

While ‘Moodhevi’ is considered the goddess of misfortune, ‘Munda’ is a disrespectful way of referring to widows. The word ‘mami’ is often used while speaking derogatorily about Tamil Brahmin women.

The reference to pickle selling is due to the fact that a number of women from the Tamil Brahmin community have traditionally been involved in making homemade pickles and selling them.

This is not the first time that Sitharaman has been referred to as a pickle-selling lady. Justice K Chandru, who recently submitted a report to the state government with recommendations on how to reduce casteism in schools, had as per a report by The Commune, commented on a Facebook post, referring to her as “Ooruka Ammaiyar.”

Tamil Brahmin women have often been targeted by Dravidian politicians and their supporters. Dayanidhi Maran, the son of former Union minister Murasoli Maran (nephew of former chief minister M Karunanidhi) used the ‘Mami’ jibe while speaking at a hunger strike against NEET.

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