BRS leader K Kavitha has hit out at the Congress over DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran's controversial 'Hindi speakers clean toilet' remark and said the Bharat Jodo Yatra that was initiated by Rahul Gandhi looked like a PR stunt. She also questioned Rahul Gandhi's silence over the Sanatana Dharma comments made by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin.
The Congress and DMK are allies in the Opposition INDIA bloc.
A 2019 clip of Dayanidhi Maran talking about Hindi speakers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar coming to Tamil Nadu and doing construction work, and cleaning roads and toilets, triggered a massive row.
In the old clip, Maran compared people who learnt English and those who only learnt Hindi and said the former ended up in IT companies while the latter did menial jobs.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Kavitha said, "It is not about one particular party's views, it is about how these kinds of statements are going to disturb the fabric of our nation and which alliance is this particular party a part of. It is a part of the INDIA bloc, which is led by Rahul Gandhi's Congress."
"Rahul Gandhi continuously keeps making a lot of statements about Bharat Jodo Yatra where he is constantly trying to unite the nation. Now, it looks like a PR stunt because he should have stood up, spoken when comments were made on Sanatana Dharma, which has hurt Hindu sentiments," she said.
Later, in an interview with news agency ANI, Kavitha said the leaders were making such statements to gain certain votes from a few sections of people, which would ultimately divide the country "in ways which we cannot imagine".
"If Rahul Gandhi had reacted to the Sanatana Dharma controversy, such statements wouldn't have been made by others. These statements should not be taken lightly. And you are talking about Bharat Jodo Yatra and uniting the nation," she said.
Kavitha said Rahul Gandhi should "not do PR with Bharat Jodo Yatra" and clarify to the people of the country by giving statements about the controversial comments made by his allies with the Lok Sabha polls approaching next year.
"Why don't you start answering people now? You should stand up, make a statement and clear it out to the nation that you are not against Hindus, labours or Hindi-speaking states," she further said.
