DMK's another Anti-Sanatani statement! Senthilkumar refers ‘Hindi Heartland’ states as ‘Gaumutra states’ in Lok Sabha

After the Sanatan Dharma remark, now again DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S again spew venom against the Sanatan Dharma and made the pejorative ‘gaumutra’ remark to mock the Hindi-speaking states in the Northern part of India.

 

The DMK MP used a pejorative term while taking a dig at the BJP for its major victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the assembly elections.

 

His remark drew flak from the ruling BJP terming it as a disrespect of the ‘Sanatani’ tradition and objected to the type of language used in Parliament. Opposition leaders including Congress MPs Karti Chidambaram and Rajiv Shukla also condemned the statement

 

While addressing the Parliament on ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023’, the DMK leader referred to states in the Hindi heartland as “Gaumutra states”. Addressing the Lok Sabha members, he said, “The people of this country should think that the power of this BJP is only winning elections mainly in the heartland states of Hindi, what we generally call as the ‘Gaumutra states’.”

 

 

 

Further in his 7-minute speech, he tried to make false equivalence with the Unionhood of Jammu and Kashmir. The DMK MP alleged that the BJP could reduce South Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka into Union territory to have ‘indirect rule’ over these states.

 

The BJP drew a parallel between Senthilkumar's remark and the ‘Sanatana Dharma’ row erupted after comments made by DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin earlier.

 

"We condemn what the DMK MP said. What the alliance partner is speaking about cannot be attached to Congress. We stand for India and respect all religions. It is a planned conspiracy by BJP to stop Parliament from functioning and divert from the real issues by doing this," Congress MP Manickam Tagore said.

 

The remarks were later expunged from the DMK MP's speech by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

 

 

After facing backlash for his controversial statements in Parliament and issuing a half-hearted apology on Twitter, the DMK leader stood in Lok Sabha and withdrew his commentary. He also requested the Lok Sabha speaker to expunge his hurtful comments adding that he apologises if it hurt the sentiments of the people.

 

“The statement made by me yesterday inadvertently, if it had hurt the sentiments of the Members and sections of the people, I would like to withdraw it. I request the words to be expunged…I regret it,” the DMK leader was quoted saying by News agency ANI.

 

Reacting to his apology, Lok Sabha Chair Kirit Solanki noted that the hateful comments were already expunged from the House proceedings.

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