India: DMK MP sparks political row with ‘Bihar, UP people clean toilets’ remark, Tejashwi Yadav reacts

India's political party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has invited trouble after one of its MPs Dayanidhi Maran's video, which the party claims is old, went viral on social media.

In the video, Maran allegedly said that the Hindi-speaking people who hail from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar construct houses, clean roads and toilets in Tamil Nadu, after learning Tamil.

"Only because they (people here) studied English, today they earn fat salaries in IT companies. They say 'Hindi Hindi'. You know well who build buildings. Those who study only Hindi in Bihar build houses for us in Tamil Nadu, sweep roads and clean toilets," he said in the video that took the internet by storm.

He then went on to cite the example of Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who is a native of Tamil Nadu saying that had he learnt only Hindi language, he would have ended up being employed in the construction sector as a worker.

Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravidian party has long championed the study of Tamil and English languages.

Controversial remarks spark controversy

Maran's remarks sparked a political row and drew criticism from other political parties.

Condemning the comments made in the video, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "This is condemnable. Leaders from other states, irrespective of which party they belong to, should avoid making such remarks. This country is one. We respect people from other states and we expect the same. Such remarks should not be made."

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to his official X handle and said in a post that making such derogatory remarks had become a habit of the DMK party.

Many leaders one after the other make such comments and earlier they attacked Sanatan Dharma too, he said.

"But the reason why Congress party and other parties of INDIA alliance are not saying anything is because, perhaps, they are all in it together," he added.

Tamil Nadu BJP Vice-president Naryananan Thirupathy said, though it was an old remark, it shows the 'true colours' of DMK leaders who use abusive, and derogatory language against north Indians.

"It is not a matter of surprise at all. It is happening now, in the present. It has also happened in the past. The DMK will continue it in the future as well," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)