According to A Ramu, it was Jayalalithaa who inspired Clinton to become the first female presidential nominee from any major political party in the US.

First they said, ‘Behind every successful man is a woman’. Then they said, ‘Behind every successful woman is a man’. But now AIADMK MLA A Ramu has changed the quotation completely. According to the Coonoor MLA, it was his party leader Jayalalithaa who inspired Hillary Clinton to make history by becoming the first female presidential nominee from any major political party in the US.

The Indian Express reports that Ramu told the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday that when Clinton met Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK leader impressed the former First Lady with her command over the English language. Clinton then returned to the US and became the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. “I would like to record that the reason for this is Respected Amma,” The Indian Express quoted Ramu as saying.

How ludicrous is Ramu’s statement? Let’s explain.

First off, the meeting between Hillary Clinton and Jayalalithaa took place in July 2011, when Clinton was Secretary of State. That was five years ago! The way Ramu narrates it, it’s as if Clinton met Jayalalithaa one day and got so impressed that the next day, she turned around and became the Democratic Party nominee. C’mon!

Secondly, Clinton met the Tamil Nadu chief minister three years after contesting – and losing – the 2008 Democratic Primaries. Which clearly shows that her interest in being the president of the United States predated her meeting with Jayalalithaa.

Thirdly, when Clinton and Jayalalithaa met in Chennai, the two discussed the issue of displaced Sri Lankan Tamils and how many of them have taken refuge in Tamil Nadu. They also talked about bilateral trade, the number of H-1B visas issued being reduced and the automobile sector in the state, according to an NDTV report from 2011. Nothing about women’s rights or gender equality.

Ramu may or may not succeed in currying favour with his boss by making this statement. But what he has succeeded in is in pushing the recent ruling by the TN Assembly Speaker — that no MLA can refer to Jayalalithaa by her name in the House — to second place on the list of ludicrous statements made in Tamil Nadu Assembly. With the session yet to come to an end, we wonder which MLA will beat Ramu to make it to the top of the list.