Chennai:
DMK leader A Raja’s comments about caste at a meeting here sparked controversy, with the BJP accusing him of spewing hatred.
Mr Raja, Nilgiris MP and DMK deputy secretary general, said Shudras was insulted in Manusmrithi and denied equality, education, employment and access to temples.
“You are a Shudra as long as you are a Hindu. You are the son of a prostitute until you are a Shudra. You are a Panchaman (Dalit) until you are a Hindu. You are a untouchable until you are a Hindu,” he said while addressing a meeting of Dravidar Kazhagam here.
In a video that went viral on social media, people were heard saying, “How many of you want to stay as the children of a prostitute? How many of you want to become one? Only when we speak up about these questions will it become the element that destroys Sanathana (dhamma).”
The former Union Minister claims that the Supreme Court has ruled that if a person is not a Christian, Muslim or Persian, then he or she must be a Hindu. “Is there any other country that is accepting such cruelty?” he wondered.
Mr. Raja, who took to Twitter to express his views, asked “Who are the Shudras? Are they not Hindus? Why are they offended in Manusmrithi and denied equality, education, employment do and join the temple. The Dravidian movement, as a savior of the 90% Hindus, asked and overcome these things, cannot be anti-Hindu.”
Defeating him, BJP Premier K Annamalai called his justification “an unfortunate state of political discourse in Tamil Nadu.”
“Congressman @arivalayam continues to rage against a community whose sole purpose is to appease others. Very very sad thoughts of these political leaders who think they are. owns Tamil Nadu,” he tweeted.
BJP National President Mahila Morcha Vanathi Srinivasan said Raja had repeatedly insulted women and Hindus.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from the syndication feed.)
