DNV SenthilKumar, a Lok Sabha MP affiliated from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), ignited a significant controversy on Tuesday with his highly objectionable remarks during the House session. He referred to the Hindi heartland states as ‘Gaumutra states’ and asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) primarily secures electoral victories in these regions.
His contentious statement emerged following the BJP’s decisive triumph in the Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.
During a discussion on the Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, SenthilKumar remarked, “The country needs to recognize that the BJP mainly succeeds in winning elections in the Hindi heartland, often referred to as the ‘Gaumutra states’.”
“BJP cannot make inroads into South India. Look at the recent election outcomes in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana; we hold a strong position there,” he added.
#WATCH | Winter Session of Parliament | DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S says “…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 the ‘Gaumutra’ states…” pic.twitter.com/i37gx9aXyI
— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023
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SenthilKumar’s offensive comments have provoked widespread criticism from various quarters.
Subsequent to his statement, the BJP strongly condemned his remarks, asserting that such remarks would not be tolerated.
Members of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, including Congress leaders, have also responded to Senthilkumar’s statement. Karti Chidambaram criticized the DMK MP, saying, “His choice of words is regrettable and unparliamentary. He must apologize immediately and retract his comments.”
Adhir Ranjan differentiates it as an individual’s statement, affirming their respect for ‘Gau Mata’
In response to Senthilkumar’s comments in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stated, “We distance ourselves from an individual’s comments made within Parliament. It represents his personal views. We hold ‘Gau Mata’ in high regard and have no further remarks on this…”
Despite the backlash, Senthilkumar remained unapologetic.
Amid a major uproar following his statements about the Hindi heartland states, the DMK leader stated, “I made certain remarks during the House session in the presence of the Home Minister and BJP members. I have used similar statements in my previous Parliament speeches. It wasn’t intended to be contentious. If it has offended anyone, I will try to avoid using such language in the future. I will use alternate phrasing to denote the areas where the BJP holds significant electoral influence.”
#WATCH | DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S on his ‘Gaumutra’ remark, “I made some statement inside the House. At the time Home Minister & BJP members were there at that time. I have used this before in my Parliament speeches. It was not a controversial statement. If it touches somebody I… pic.twitter.com/bUUbQ0O7fY
— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023
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