New Delhi: DMK Member of Parliament DNV Senthilkumar sparked controversy on Tuesday, December 5, terming Hindi-speaking states as ‘gaumutra states’ and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party can win elections there and not in southern India.
Participating in a debate in the Lower House on two bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, Senthilkumar said people of this country should think that the power of the BJP is only winning elections “in the heartland states of Hindi and what we generally called as gaumutra states”.
“You (BJP) cannot come to South India. You see all the results of what happens in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka … we are very strong over there,” Senthilkumar said.
“We will not be surprised if you have an option of converting all these states into Union territories so that you can come into indirect power because you can never dream of setting foot over there and taking control of all the southern states,” he added.
The comments come in the backdrop of some referring to the recent assembly election results as a ‘North-South divide’ after the BJP trounced the Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the Congress won in Telangana.
Interestingly, when the vote tide was in favour of the BJP in the three Hindi-speaking states, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam said the party’s loss was due to the curse of Sanatan Dharma. “This country has never accepted caste-based politics…This is the curse of opposing Sanatan (Dharma),” he said.
South BJP condemns remark
BJP leaders hit back at the DMK and asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi if he agreed with the insulting remarks of its INDIA bloc partner against the north Indians.
In Tamil Nadu, state BJP chief K Annamalai condemned the “insensitive” remarks of the MP, saying the level of the party’s discourse is “sinking” like Chennai and the “arrogance” of DMK will be the prime reason for its downfall.
“After calling our North Indian friends Pani Puri sellers, toilet constructors, etc., I.N.D.I. Alliance DMK MP, makes Gaumutra Jibes,” he said on X.
“Chennai is sinking due to the misgovernance of DMK & and so is their level of discourse on the floor of the Parliament,” Annamalai said, referring to the flood-like situation in the state capital.
The BJP “highly condemns this insensitive remark,” he said.
Annamalai said the DMK MP has possibly forgotten that the NDA Alliance is in power in Puducherry and was in power in Karnataka until recently.
“The arrogance of DMK will be the prime reason for their downfall!” he posted.
Former Karnataka minister C T Ravi asked if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi endorses such insulting remarks.
“Will I.N.D.I. Alliance leader Rahul Gandhi agree with this DMK man who has insulted Bharatiyas of the Heartland States?
Earlier this year, Congress had wrested Karnataka from the BJP, while other southern states are ruled by non-BJP parties including Tamil Nadu where Congress ally DMK is in power.
