BJP Condemns DMK Minister's Remarks on North Indian Migrant Workers
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday launched a sharp attack against a Tamil Nadu minister over his comments regarding North Indian migrant workers, accusing the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of repeatedly targeting migrants and exacerbating social divisions within the state.
Controversial Comments Spark Outrage
The BJP was responding to remarks made by DMK Agriculture Minister M R K Panneer Selvam during a party event held in Chengalpattu. In his address, the minister specifically referred to North Indians employed in low-wage occupations across Tamil Nadu.
"People from the North are coming here to clean tables, engage in construction works, sell pani puri. Because he learnt only Hindi and had no job opportunity there, he has come here," Minister Panneer Selvam stated at the gathering.
BJP's Strong Rebuttal on Social Media
In a detailed post on X, the BJP characterized the minister's statements as derogatory and indicative of a broader pattern within the DMK leadership. The party emphasized that in contemporary India, citizens from every state work across the nation and globally, with no occupation being insignificant and no citizen being inferior.
"At a party event in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, DMK agriculture minister Shri MRK Panneer mocked North Indian migrants as 'table cleaners and pani puri sellers.' In today's India, people from every state work everywhere - North, South, and across the world. No job is small. No citizen is inferior," the BJP declared in its social media statement.
Allegations of Fueling Violence and Division
The BJP further alleged that such comments become particularly hazardous given recent reports of violence against migrant workers in Tamil Nadu. The party asserted that this was not an isolated incident but rather part of a disturbing trend within the DMK.
"This isn't an isolated slip; it's a pattern. DMK leaders have repeatedly derided migrant workers, especially for being North Indian or for speaking Hindi. At a time when violence against innocent migrant workers in Tamil Nadu is rising, such statements are reckless and dangerous, branding an entire community as 'low standard' and fuelling hate on the streets," the BJP's post elaborated.
Questioning Opposition Silence
The BJP also directed pointed questions toward leaders of the opposition INDI alliance, challenging their silence on the controversy. The party questioned whether alliance compulsions were being prioritized over national unity and whether prominent opposition figures endorsed such divisive rhetoric through their inaction.
"Now a direct question to the INDI alliance: if you claim to stand for unity, human dignity, and social justice, why this deafening silence? Is alliance compulsion more important than national unity? Do Shri Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav endorse this hatred by staying quiet? Is this your idea of justice which is dividing Indians for votes? Complete shame!" the BJP statement demanded.
Tamil Nadu BJP President's Strong Condemnation
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai issued a separate statement on X, strongly condemning the minister's remarks. He described the comments as hate-inciting and dangerous, particularly given existing reports of attacks on North Indians under the DMK regime.
"Leaders of Arivalayam who incite hatred against North Indians! Even as attacks on North Indians are already rampant under the DMK regime, I strongly condemn the Minister of DMK, Mr. MRK Panneer, for mocking them at a meeting held in Maduranthakam in Chengalpattu district," Annamalai stated.
He emphasized that Tamil Nadu's cultural heritage upholds equality and brotherhood through the philosophy of "Yadhum Oore, Yaavarum Keleer" (Every town is my hometown, everyone is my kin), making the DMK's divisive rhetoric particularly deplorable. The BJP state president also questioned whether alliance partners of the DMK, including the Congress and Communist parties, endorsed this ethnic division between North and South.
Annamalai concluded by asserting that in a culturally unified Bharat stretching "from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari," the people would reject such divisive politics in upcoming assembly elections.
No Immediate Response from DMK
As of Tuesday evening, there was no immediate response from the DMK or the opposition leaders specifically named by the BJP regarding the controversy. The silence from these quarters has further intensified the political debate surrounding migrant workers' rights and regional harmony in Tamil Nadu.
