Patna: Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav condemned the controversial video of DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran where he allegedly said that people from Hindi heartland "clean toilets" and do other menial jobs in Tamil Nadu.
"This should be condemned. No leader should make statements that insult people of other states. It is very wrong to say such things about the people of Bihar and UP. The DMK MP should keep in mind that this country is one and anyone can go and work anywhere. Just as we respect people from other states, we expect the same. We all should respect each other," Yadav said.
Yadav further said, "Karunanidhi ji's party DMK believes in social justice. It is unbecoming of a leader from Karunanidhi ji's party to speak disparagingly about the people of Bihar and UP. We don't support it. People across the country are in demand for labourers from Bihar and UP. If people don't not go to work in other states then the lives of people from those states would come to a standstill. This fact should be realised."
He said that had the DMK leader pointed out caste inequalities or mentioned that people from a particular social group engage in menial jobs then it would have made sense. But, the DMK MP specifically mentioned about people of Bihar and UP which is very unfortunate, he added.
In a video that surfaced on social media, Maran is seen comparing the job prospects of people who studied Hindi with those who studied English. He said that people who studied English earn good salaries in IT firms while those who study Hindi in Bihar, only build houses, clean the roads and toilets in Tamil Nadu. ETV Bharat, however, has not verified the authenticity of the video.
Notably, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's relationship with Lalu Prasad Yadav's family is very cordial. When the first meeting of INDIA bloc was held in Patna, Stalin went to Rabri Devi's residence to meet the couple. Earlier, the Deputy CM had also attended the inauguration of 'Karunanidhi Kottam' in Tamil Nadu as a guest.
The row over Maran's video may bring in trouble for the INDIA bloc, in which both RJD and DMK are allies. Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya shared Maran's video on his X handle asking Rahul Gandhi and Nitish Kumar to clarify whether the DMK leader's statement is on the same page with their parties' position.
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