The controversy arose after an undated video went viral, featuring Dayanidhi Maran making remarks about people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh being suitable for menial jobs like construction work and toilet cleaning in Tamil Nadu. The comments drew swift criticism from political allies and leaders.
Bihar Congress Takes Legal Action: Chandrika Yadav, a prominent Bihar Congress leader, has taken a decisive step by sending a legal notice to Dayanidhi Maran, seeking an apology within 15 days. The notice asserts that Maran’s statements were derogatory and demanded a public apology to rectify the perceived insult.
RJD and JD(U) Condemnation: Partners of the I.N.D.I Alliance, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal United (JD(U)), also expressed their strong condemnation of Maran’s reported comments. The alliance partners voiced their disapproval, aligning with the sentiments of Bihar Congress in demanding accountability for the alleged derogatory remarks.
DMK’s Response: In response to the controversy, DMK clarified that the video in question was old. Dayanidhi Maran retweeted a statement, claiming that the video was from four years ago and that news agency ANI had compiled various politicians’ remarks on Maran’s alleged anti-Hindi speech at that time.
Video Content: The video, which circulated widely, purportedly features Dayanidhi Maran stating in Tamil that individuals in Tamil Nadu who learn English secure jobs in multinational companies. In contrast, he allegedly claimed that those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who only learn Hindi, end up in menial jobs such as construction work and toilet cleaning in Tamil Nadu.
4. DMK MP Dhayanidhi Maran has said in public meeting that peoples who learned Hindi are working in TN as construction workers, washing the toilets but Tamilians are working in IT sector at high posts.
There are many incidents where he spoke like this. 4/n pic.twitter.com/ExmUBTEHTw
— Soma Sundaram (@isomasundaram72) March 5, 2023
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Jai Hind said that the opposition is once again playing the divide and rule card, while an MP from Bihar, Giriraj Singh, asked whether Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav agreed with their DMK ally. “Do Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav agree with their coalition partner’s opinion on Hindi-speaking people? They should clarify why DMK and INDIA bloc have so much hatred against Hindi-speaking people,” Bihar BJP MP Giriraj Singh wrote on ‘X’.
डीएमके सांसद दयानिधि मारन का कहना है कि यूपी/बिहार के हिंदी भाषी लोग तमिलनाडु आते हैं और सड़कें और शौचालय साफ करते हैं।
क्या बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार और लालू यादव हिंदी भाषी लोगों पर अपने गठबंधन सहयोगी की राय से सहमत हैं? उन्हें स्पष्ट करना चाहिए कि DMK और I.N.D.I गठबंधन… pic.twitter.com/yFRCYK7fXi— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) December 23, 2023
3. DMK MP, party's spokesperson TKS ELANGOVAN is in the row to make similar vile words on Hindi speaking peoples and lang.
He says "HINDI is spoken in Backward States" by mentioning few states. 3/n pic.twitter.com/LOrZRgNaxx
— Soma Sundaram (@isomasundaram72) March 5, 2023
Former Union Law Minister and prominent BJP figure from Bihar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, has issued a challenge to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in response to DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran’s alleged derogatory remarks about Bihar and Uttar Pradesh residents. Prasad demanded an end to the continuous disrespect toward the people of Bihar, citing the challenging situation under Kumar’s governance that compels residents to migrate.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, from the RJD, strongly condemned Maran’s statement, emphasizing the importance of addressing social inequities without disparaging entire populations. Yadav stated that highlighting caste disparities would have made sense, but speaking disparagingly of the entire populace of Bihar and UP is reprehensible. He urged leaders of the DMK to refrain from making statements that contradict the principle of social justice.
The condemnation from both the BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad and the RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav reflects the bipartisan rejection of Maran’s alleged remarks and underscores the need for responsible and respectful discourse in political discussions.
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: On DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran's Statement, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav says, "Karunanidhi's party is the DMK. The DMK believes in social justice. If any leader of that party has said something about the people of UP and Bihar, then it is condemnable. We do… pic.twitter.com/qtEuDUOYcr
— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2023
Bihar Congress leader Chandrika Yadav has taken legal action against DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, issuing a legal notice on December 25. Yadav’s move follows Maran’s purported statement suggesting that individuals who study only Hindi in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are engaged in tasks like “building houses” and “cleaning toilets” in Tamil Nadu. Yadav has given Maran a 15-day ultimatum to apologise, threatening court action if the apology is not forthcoming.
In his statement, Yadav clarified that he did not represent the DMK as a party or file the complaint solely as a Congress leader. He expressed concern that Maran’s remarks were an attack on the self-respect and pride of Biharis, highlighting their significant contributions to the development of various states. Yadav cited examples such as a Bihari serving as the Director General of Police in Tamil Nadu until recently, along with many senior bureaucrats in Telangana and other southern states.
Ironically, Yadav pointed out that the DMK had previously engaged the services of Bihari Brahmin Prasanth Kishor, allegedly paying Rs. 350 crore for his professional expertise, during the 2021 assembly elections, using his strategies to secure victory.
During the anti-Hindi agitations, DMK men at the behest of Karunanidhi had wall writings that said:
அத்தை மகள் தமிழ் இருக்க
ஆசை நாயகி ஆங்கிலம் இருக்க
ஊர் #தேவுடியா ஹிந்தி எதற்கு?
Which means : When you have your cousin sister whom you are entitled to marry (referring to Tamil),
when you have your good concubine/woman you desire (referring to English),
why do you need a whore/ prostitute (referring to Hindi)?
JNU Professor Mangai explained to JNU students the standards of Karunanidhi touching on the above verse.
If there had been a Nobel Prize for perversion he would have won it hands down every year. https://t.co/GGqK1glNhf pic.twitter.com/vUb3oVvW47
— Vishwatma 🇮🇳 ( மோடியின் குடும்பம் ) (@HLKodo) June 2, 2023
DMK Dharmapuri MP Senthil Kumar had the audacity to say in Parliament, “People of this country should think that the power of this BJP is only winning elections and mainly in the heartland states of Hindi or what we generally call as the ‘Gau mutra states’. You cannot come to South India. You see all the results of what happens in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra, and Telangana.” . on the NEP, he said . If they want, they can go implement them in Gau mutra (BJP ruled) states, which they are very keen upon”.
DMK Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiyagarajan said ‘Lack of Education’ was the reason for the BJP’s victories In the ‘Hindi Belt’. Former RS member and DMK organising secretary RS Bharati said dog meat-eating Nagaland people have more self-respect.
Recently convicted senior DMK minister K Ponmudi ( in 2022) “Many say that if you study Hindi, you will get a job. But many are coming to work in Chennai from northern states. A few are selling pani puri here.” (on two occasions). TN Health Minister Ma. Subramanian blamed ‘north Indians’ for rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
It is in DMK’s DNA with a strong bias against Biharis. No wonder the current leaders speak like their veterans. But little did they realise that their barbs against Sanatana Dharma, North Indians, Hindi etc would doom their future, besides shunting out an unceremonial exit from the I.N.D.I.A. The dotted alliance allies are slowly makes ways to dislodge this (DMK) extra baggage that would be a domical sword on their neck and signs are started visible.
As the controversy continues to escalate, the legal notice from the Bihar Congress adds a new dimension to the repercussions faced by Dayanidhi Maran over his reported remarks, further fueling the debate on regionalism and derogatory comments in Indian politics.
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