"People like Dayanidhi Maran are spreading filth in our country": Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi

New Delhi [India], [India], December 24 : Reacting to the remarks made by DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran that Hindi speakers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar come to Tamil Nadu to do jobs like construction work and cleaning of toilets, Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi on Sunday said that it is people like DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran that are spreading filth in the country.
"Some people clean toilets while some others spread filth, people like Dayanidhi Maran are spreading filth in the country. It is upto the people to decide whether they want people who spread filth or the ones who want to clean it," Meenakashi Lekhi told ANI.
BJP MLA Kailash Vijayvargiya said, "Some people want to break the country. Such people are getting exposed...These people belong to the 'Ghamandiya' alliance. Such talks happen and Congress keeps silent..."
The remarks of the DMK MP have received sharp criticism from the BJP, with Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad calling the remark "shameful" and asked DMK Maran to stop insulting the boys of Bihar who are working there.
"What I can say to this arrogance, I criticise it. Dayanidhi Maran stop insulting the Bihari boys who served there. What does it mean? The people of Bihar have a tradition and a culture. If there is no work under Nitish Kumar's government they then will go for work there. Don't insult their hard work. It is very shameful," Prasad said.
Union Minister Nityanand Rai also said that such people want to create unrest and divisions in the country on the basis of North and South regions.
Nityanand Rai also demanded that parties from Bihar who are a part of the INDIA bloc must condemn the statement of their ally's leader.
"Dayanidhi Maran has made a very objectionable statement. On one side PM Modi speaks about 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' and today people want to divide North India and South India but that won't happen. Bihar parties who are part of INDI alliance must condemn this," Nityanand Rai told ANI.
The controversy has been triggered by a clip of DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran going viral in which he is saying that Hindi speakers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who come to Tamil Nadu end up doing construction work or cleaning roads and toilets.
The clip was also shared by BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla.
In a post on X, Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Once again an attempt to play the Divide and Rule card. First Rahul Gandhi insulted North Indian voters, then Revanth Reddy abused Bihar DNA then DMK MP Senthil Kumar said "Gaumutra states" now Dayanidhi Maran insults Hindi speakers and North Abusing Hindus/Sanatan, then playing divide and rule card is DNA of INDI."
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned the stand of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD President Lalu Yadav and Tejasvi Yadav on the issue.
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Sunday said that some opposition parties in the country are attempting to divide north and south India but they will not be successful in their goals as all Indians are united.
Speaking to ANI, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said, "There is an ongoing attempt to divide the north and the south India. But in the north and the south all are Indians, all are one."
In the aftermath of Maran's comments DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan, labelled a major allegation on the central government, said that people from North Indian states are being given preference while being recruited in Public Sector Units (PSU).
Getting more specific, Elangovan further added that there are PSUs in Uttar Pradesh as well but they are not recruiting Tamilians."Now the government is selecting people from the northern states to work in Union PSUs. Even PSUs are there in UP but they are not recruiting Tamils."Our people are not against anybody coming here. They are doing menial work but the Government of India is putting them on higher posts, depriving Tamilians of their rights," Elangovan said.