Chennai: DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has pulled up party MP DNV Senthil Kumar for his remarks describing Hindi heartland as "gaumutra states", the party said on Tuesday. DMK always insisted on the need for a dignified approach while making public remarks, the party added.
The Dharmapuri MP's remarks had drawn instant condemnation from the BJP as well as DMK's ally Congress, whose leaders asked him to tender an apology. Senior DMK leader and Organising Secretary RS Bharathi said the MP has tendered a public apology.
Referring to the Parliament speech of Kumar relating to the outcome of the five-state elections, Bharathi said the MP had used "a word that gave a wrong meaning."
"Upon knowing this, party president and chief minister Stalin strongly rebuked Senthil Kumar," he said in a statement. He added the MP has issued a statement seeking public apology, stating that he had not made the said remarks with any particular intention.
Bharathi stressed on the need for all to maintain dignity while making public opinions. The DMK founder late CN Annaudurai's principles of 'Duty-Dignity-Discipline ' should be followed by all, he said and urged that partymen should refrain from making personal opinions on national issues.
While participating in a discussion on J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in the House, Kumar had said the BJP can win elections only in the Hindi heartland states and not in south India. While his description of the Hindi heartland as "gaumutra" states was expunged by the Lok Sabha Speaker later, the remarks sparked a controversy with several members across party lines condemning the DMK leader and the video of his speech going viral on social media.
Facing flak, he later apologised. "Commenting on the results of the five recent state assembly elections, I have used a word in an inappropriate way. Not using that term with any intent, I apologize for sending the wrong meaning across," he said in a post on X. (PTI)
