CHENNAI: A video clip that went viral on social media shows a policeman verbally abusing a migrant worker employed at a roadside eatery in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu. This took place on the night of February 8 in the Kanchikoil area. From the video, it could be seen that the policeman allegedly slapped the migrant worker. Following outrage, the concerned policeman has been transferred to the Armed Reserve pending an enquiry.
From CCTV footage from the eatery shows the policeman questioning the guest worker in what appears to be an intimidating manner about his native place, following which a verbal altercation ensued. He asks, “Where are you from? Close the shop and leave. Don’t even think of opening tomorrow. I’ll cut off your legs. Go. Get out. Move. Close it now.” It is also seen that he threw things at the workers.
"எந்த ஊருடா நீ… இது என் சொந்த ஊரு… நாளைக்கு காலைல நீ கடைல இருந்தனு வை என் மீசையை எடுத்துடுறேண்டா"… ஹோட்டலை மூடக் கோரி லத்தியால் பொருட்களை அடித்து கீழே தள்ளி புலம்பெயர் தொழிலாளியை அவதூறாக பேசிய காவலர்#erode | #police | #fastfoodshop | #cctv | #polimernews pic.twitter.com/T7wCA0VV97
— Polimer News (@polimernews) February 9, 2026
The cop continues, “You people come here to survive and act like this? Who do you think you are talking to? Hey, where are you from? Where are you from, you dog? Do you even know where I’m from? I belong to this place. Get out! Move! Don’t even try to open this shop tomorrow. I’ll shave off my moustache. Go!. What did you say? What is the time? Close it now! It is 10 PM. You’re raising your hand against a policeman? What’s the time? 10.20. You should close at 10 PM.” When asked why he hit the worker, he replied, “Who are you? What will you do? I told you clearly 10 PM (abuse). You don’t tell me what I should talk. How dare you question me?”. And continues to use abusive language. After that, the cop asked the shop owner to meet him the next morning at the station by 10 am and should not open till he visits. The policeman is also seen pushing aside vessels and cooking items with his baton, as if playing billiards.
Strongly condemning the incident, BJP leader K Annamalai shared the video on social media (X) saying “The police are authorized to enforce the law. But, they do not have the right to inflict damage on property or to harass, abuse, or assault migrant workers merely based on the State they come from. When such conduct is witnessed within the Tamil Nadu State Police itself, it is hardly surprising that migrant workers across the State are increasingly subjected to physical and verbal abuse under the watch of the corrupt DMK government”.
The police are authorised to enforce the law. But, they do not have the right to inflict damage on property or to harass, abuse, or assault migrant workers merely based on the State they come from.
When such conduct is witnessed within the Tamil Nadu State Police itself, it is… pic.twitter.com/I3Tf3nmRLa
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) February 9, 2026
He said, “ It is high time we recognise and acknowledge the indispensable contribution of migrant workers to Tamil Nadu’s economy. From the construction of Metro Rail projects and National Highways to residential buildings, factories, and small production units, every pillar of our economic activity rests significantly on their labour. To deny them dignity is to undermine our own growth. These disturbing incidents are the inevitable outcome of years of hatred being systematically sown against migrant workers for narrow political gains by the DMK”.
In another video, a special sub-inspector threatened a bakery shop owner in front of customers at Pothanur in Namakkal district. he also used very abusive language.
#NewsUpdate || பேக்கரி கடை உரிமையாளருக்கு SSI மிரட்டல் #BakeryOwner | #SSIThreat | #PoliceInvestigation | #LawAndOrder | #TamilNadu | #NEWSJ pic.twitter.com/loHCny6hSt
— NewsJ (@NewsJTamil) February 9, 2026
A few days ago, Tamil Nadu BJP strongly condemned DMK ministers making comments on North Indians who are fit to clean tables in restaurants and pani puri sellers. This is in bad taste, comparing and commenting on the North Indians.
Tamil Nadu BJP was reacting to comments made by DMK agriculture minister M R K Panneer Selvam at a party event in Chengalpattu, where he referred to North Indians working in low-paying jobs. He said, “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”.
BJP in a tweet said, “At a party event in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, DMK Agriculture Minister MRK Panneer Selvam 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”.
At a party event in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, DMK Agriculture Minister Shri @MRKPanneer 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… pic.twitter.com/ODs02RRJLA
— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) February 4, 2026
The post on the X platform added, “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. 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 @RahulGandhi , @ priyanka gandhi, @yadavakhilesh and @yadavtejashwi endorse this hatred by staying quiet? Is this your idea of justice which is dividing Indians for votes? Complete shame!”.
TN BJP chief Nainar Nagendran in a post in X said “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, MRK Panneer Selva,m for mocking them at a meeting held in Madhuranthagam in Chengalpet district by saying “ North Indians come to Tamil Nadu only to sell pani puri, work in construction, or wipe tables” The DMK minister must immediately seek a public apology from the people for his arrogant comments.
வட இந்தியர்கள் மீதான வெறுப்புணர்வைத் தூண்டும் @arivalayam தலைவர்கள்!
திமுக ஆட்சியில் ஏற்கனவே வட இந்தியர்கள் மீதான தாக்குதல்கள் தலைவிரித்தாடிக் கொண்டிருக்கும் நிலையில், செங்கல்பட்டு மாவட்டம் மதுராந்தகத்தில் நடைபெற்ற கூட்டத்தில் “பானிபூரி விற்கவும், கட்டட வேலைக்கும், டேபிள்… pic.twitter.com/TX25OouaOG
— Nainar Nagenthran (@NainarBJP) February 4, 2026
Tamil Nadu follows the policy of “ Yadhum Oore Yavarum keleer (Every place is my hometown, and everyone is my kin)”. It is not only deplorable but also dangerous that DMK leaders continue to sow seeds of hatred against North Indians. Do the Congress and Communist parties, as alliance partners of DMK, endorse this divisive politics of the DMK, which strives to divide people ethnically into North and South? In our country (Bharat), which shares a unified cultural heritage from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, the people will uproot and cast away this venomous creeper called DMK, which toils to seize power and authority by using North Indian people as scapegoats in the upcoming state Assembly elections”.
TN BJP said that such comments were particularly dangerous at a time when incidents of violence against migrant workers are on the rise, which are being reported in the media and on social media. In Tiruvallur district, intoxicated youths badly assaulted an Odisha man. His whereabouts are still mysterious. Police said he had escaped fromthe hospital. How a seriously injured man could escape is a questionthat still has no answers. Recently in Coimbatore R Suraj (22), a migrant worker from Midnapore district in West Bengal, was living in the Pullukadu housing unit and working at an eatery in Karumbukadai was killed. In this connection, Coimbatore Bazaar police arrested A Bajith Khan (30), an autorickshaw driver, and R Prakash (38). Earlier, two guest workers’ bodies were found in two different wells in Kallakurichi. A few days ago, a north Indian woman was sexually harassed in her workplace ( brick kiln) in Vikramasingapuram in Tirunelveli district. Reacting to this, BJP leader Nainar Nagendran said, “During the five rule of the DMK government, day by day, crime against women and children is rising but never decreasing. More particularly, attacks against North Indian migrant labourers have no limit. They are mocked as north indian, pani puri seller, table cleaners, fit for cleaning toilets, north Indian women have more husbands, etc. Such comments are shocking”
தமிழகப் பெண்களுக்கும், தமிழகத்திற்கு வரும் பெண்களுக்கும் பாதுகாப்பில்லாத திமுக ஆட்சி!
திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டம் விக்கிரமசிங்கபுரம் அருகே அடையக்கருங்குளத்தில் உள்ள செங்கல் சூளையில் பணிபுரிந்து வரும் வடமாநிலப் பெண் ஒருவருக்கு, சூளைக்குள் வைத்தே பாலியல் வன்கொடுமை கொடுத்த வழக்கில்…
— Nainar Nagenthran (@NainarBJP) February 6, 2026
DMK government said it was an isolated incident involving two local youths under the influence of alcohol”.
https://x.com/thinak_/status/2020017526135242781?s=20
DMK Thousand Lights MLA Ezhilan Naganathan, known for spewing venom against Hinduism, is back in focus with another inflammatory speech against Hindus and Hindi-speaking migrant workers, saying, “I ask – what progress have they seen by studying Hindi? People from very backward sections who studied Hindi come here and do construction work, sell pani puri, sell beeda and pakoda. But our children from backward communities become software engineers,doctors, and go abroad for jobs.”
He said, “we speak Tamil and English because of the two-language policy given by Anna. If children from our homes speak fluent English today, it is because of Anna’s two-language policy. That is what led to progress…. They are telling the Chief Minister – accept the three-language policy, accept Hindi”.
Ezhilan said, “To destroy that, what they are doing? They say – accept the three-language policy, they are saying to accept Hindi indirectly. They are blackmailing us saying only if we do that, they will give funds. Are we going to allow that? Are we going to allow our progress to be blocked? I warn there will be a communal polarization and political manipulation”.
