Tamil Nadu Speaker joins anti-abortion rally, sparks massive row

A major political row has erupted in Tamil Nadu after Assembly Speaker and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader JCD Prabhakar took part in an anti-abortion rally and spoke against abortion. Critics and opposition parties condemned the remarks as regressive and contrary to women’s rights, arguing that political movements should stand for progressive causes rather than endorse such views.Prabhakar flagged off the 5th National March for Life India in Chennai, a Catholic Christian religious event, where thousands of people participated in a rally opposing abortion and advocating for the protection of unborn life.In his address, the 73-year-old TVK leader described the rally as a movement reminding society that life has value even before a child is born."I consider this rally as a voice reminding us that even before a child sees this world, that life has value," he said. "I consider this an event expressing the belief that every unborn child has dignity," the Speaker added. Prabhakar also invoked religious beliefs while speaking about the importance of childbirth and family and argued that an unborn child had a future and a purpose, adding that he was happy to see the movement centred on that belief.At the rally, the Speaker further criticised what he described as changing attitudes towards having children. Recalling earlier times when families had larger numbers of children, he said the mindset had gradually shifted from "We two, for us two" to "We two, for us one" and later to delaying childbirth. "Gradually, it reached a point where people started thinking, 'Why have a child at all?' We all know well that this mindset is the root cause of recent trends," he said at the event hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI).The Speaker’s remarks drew immediate criticism from various quarters, with critics arguing that women should have absolute autonomy over their bodies and decisions regarding pregnancy. Critics also invoked the case of Savita Halappanavar, a Karnataka-born dentist who died in Ireland from sepsis after her request for an abortion was denied on legal grounds. Her death triggered widespread protests and renewed debate over Ireland’s abortion laws.Some users argued that the Speaker's endorsement of what they described as conservative religious events could contribute to polarisation. They also claimed that Dravidian parties had kept such events at bay for decades and questioned their emergence under Joseph Vijay's leadership.People also questioned whether Vijay and the ruling TVK share the same stance on abortion and women’s rights.The BJP seized on the controversy to question Prabhakar’s participation in a Christian event. BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam questioned whether the same response would have followed had a Hindu organisation organised a similar anti-abortion march."Imagine for one second that this was a Hindu organisation," he said, asking what the reaction would have been if Hindu religious groups had marched through Chennai telling women that abortion was wrong. He claimed such an event would potentially be described using terms such as "patriarchy", "Hindutva", "religious fundamentalism" and an "attack on women’s bodily autonomy".BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said Prabhakar’s participation was against the rights of women."Even though abortion is legal under Indian law, slogans such as 'abortion is murder' and other demands opposing the abortion law were raised. The Speaker's participation in this event has now become controversial as it is against the rights of women," he said.The BJP leader added, "There is nothing wrong with the Speaker being a believer in the Christian faith, but showing eagerness to impose that religion and its beliefs on the public is not appropriate," and added they would have reacted differently if similar statements had been made in the name of Hindu beliefs.I saw some visuals of Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar participating in a Christian/ Catholican religious procession against abortion. Various slogans opposing women’s rights were raised during that procession. Even though abortion is legal under Indian law, slogans such as— Narayanan Thirupathy (@narayanantbjp) August 10, 2026MINISTER DISTANCES FROM SPEAKER'S REMARKSAmid the controversy, Tamil Nadu Health Minister KG Arunraj sought to clarify the government’s position, stressing that abortion is regulated by law and can be a medical necessity.Speaking at a press conference, Arunraj said he was unaware of the context in which the Speaker had made his remarks and urged people not to misunderstand them."Abortion is regulated through the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act," the minister said, adding that under the current law, women can legally undergo an abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy."In the medical field, across many circumstances, abortion is a definitive medical necessity, and it is something we must do," Arunraj said.Asked about the constitutional and political implications of the Speaker’s anti-abortion position, the minister sought to distinguish Prabhakar’s personal views from the state’s health framework and urged people "not to misunderstand it".- EndsPublished On: Aug 11, 2026 11:17 IST