‘Disrespect of Sanatani tradition’: BJP slams DMK MP over ‘Gaumutra’ remark
A DMK MP stoked a massive controversy by calling the Hindi heartland states as ‘Gaumutra’ states.
Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Meenakshi Lekhi on Tuesday slammed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP DNV Senthilkumar S over his remark calling the Hindi heartland states as ‘Gaumutra’ states, saying that it is a “disrespect” of the ‘Sanatani’ tradition. The DMK MP's statement was in reference to BJP's victory in three states - Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh - in the recently concluded assembly election.
“DMK will soon get to know the benefits of 'Gaumutra'. They are very well aware that this will not be tolerated by the people of the country. Anyone who tries to play with the sentiments of the country will get a befitting reply from the public,” Lekhi told the media.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar said, “BJP is accepted all across the country…Whoever is saying this, does not have any knowledge. He is not aware of the culture of India.” Another party MP Annapurna Devi said that people who say such statements have a “shallow mindset and are jealous of PM Modi's popularity across the world”.
Bihar BJP leader Nawal Kishore Yadav told news agency ANI that “hurling abuses” at Hindi-speaking states need “mental treatment”. “Under the leadership of PM Modi in the upcoming elections, these people will be given a treatment,” he said.
Addressing the Lok Sabha on the second day of the winter session of Parliament, the DMK MP evoked a controversy by saying, “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."
In September this year, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin's son Udhayanidhi stoked a similar controversy after he compared the ‘Sanatana Dharma’ with diseases like dengue and malaria and said it should not be merely opposed but "eradicated".
“A few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona. We have to eradicate this, that's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather opposing Sanatana it should be eradicated," he said at an event.
An FIR was also registered against him under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different religious groups), and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
