• Source:JND
Tamil Nadu agriculture minister and a member of the MK Stalin Cabinet, MRK Pannerselvam, has sparked a massive row with his derogatory remarks against North Indians. Speaking at a party meeting in Chengalpattu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader said that people from the North are engaged in menial jobs such as "selling pani puri" because they know only Hindi. The remark has reignited the language debate of Hindi vs Tamil, months ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.

What Did The Minister Say?

The DMK minister said that the people who only know Hindi have limited jobs in the state, which forces them to work in low-paying jobs. In contrast, those who know Tamil and English can benefit from the resources of the state and even go abroad to grab opportunities.
 
“Those from the north are coming to Tamil Nadu to clean tables, they are coming here to work as construction labourers, pani puri sellers, as they have only learnt Hindi. Meanwhile, our children have gone abroad as we follow a two-language policy. They are going abroad and getting opportunities to earn in crores in places like the USA, London,” the minister said.

BJP Slams DMK Minister Over Language Remark

The Bharatiya Janata Party has criticised the language remarks made by the DMK minister and said that the remarks were not an isolated incident but a set pattern followed by the DMK of mocking the people from the North.
 
“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,” the BJP Tamil Nadu wrote on its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
The BJP also targeted the INDI alliance for staying mum on the issue. “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?” the party wrote, targeting opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav.

DMK Says Minister’s Quote As Misrepresentation

In response to the backlash from the opposition, leaders from the DMK came to the aid of Pannerselvam and tried to control the situation from spinning out of control. Party spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah said that there is ‘dignity in every legal work’ and said that the ruling party is not against the Hindi speakers nor the job they do.
 
“The two-language policy has helped Tamil Nadu and its people. English has given people development and global opportunities. Without this priority for English, people in Hindi-speaking states have not been able to develop in education,” he said. Meanwhile, DMK Lok Sabha MP TR Baalu said that Selvam was misquoted and did not intend to mean them.
 
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram called the language remarks ‘irresponsible’ and said that migrant labourers are safe in the state. Samajwadi Party MP Awadesh Prasad and JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha also criticised the remarks and said that the people of North have been a major contributor to the economic development of the state.

Also In News