Following the viral circulation of an old clip featuring DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran and his 'Hindi speakers toilet remark' on social media, the DMK has chosen to share a video portraying BJP leader Tarun Vijay making racially insensitive comments about South Indians. In this footage, Vijay is heard referring to South Indians as "black people." The DMK's IT wing released the video against the backdrop of the ongoing controversy surrounding Maran's statement.
The shared video features Vijay expressing, "If we were racist, why would we have the entire South? Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra... Why do we live with them? We have black people around us." This statement, made by Vijay, a former Rajya Sabha MP, was part of a 2017 debate on Al Jazeera TV and stirred considerable controversy at the time. Subsequently, Vijay issued an apology for his remarks.
The recent controversy ensued when a clip surfaced of Maran, at a 2019 event, making comments about Hindi speakers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who visit Tamil Nadu, suggesting that they end up engaging in construction work or cleaning roads and toilets.
Several BJP leaders, including Shehzad Poonawalla, seized upon the opportunity to share Maran's clip, criticizing INDIA bloc leaders for not condemning the DMK MP's statements. Poonawalla argued that the INDIA bloc's agenda seemed to be rooted in "divide and rule" tactics, aimed at insulting Sanatana Dharma and fostering division among the country's people.
The context of Maran's old clip involves a comparison between individuals who learn English and those who only learn Hindi. Maran suggested that those who learned English found employment in IT companies, while those who exclusively learned Hindi ended up in menial jobs.
In light of these developments, the political discourse has been marked by a series of exchanges between the DMK and BJP leaders, bringing attention to the complex issues of language, regional identity, and divisive rhetoric.
