Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Tamil Nadu Minister says North Indians ‘clean tables,’ sell ‘pani puri’; BJP calls it ‘reckless and dangerous’ and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
What the Minister said
Speaking at an event in Chengalpattu, Panneerselvam talked about people from North India working in low-paying jobs.
“People from the North are coming here to clean tables, engage in construction works, and sell pani puri. Because he learnt only Hindi and had no job opportunity there, he has come here,” The Times of India quoted Panneerselvam as saying.
But children from Tamil Nadu “have gone abroad… as we follow a two-language policy and learned English well,” Panneerselvam said. He stated that they are going abroad to countries like the US and the UK, and getting opportunities to earn in crores.
BJP Reacts
A video of Panneerselvam was shared by the official X handle of Tamil Nadu BJP. It described the DMK leader’s remarks as derogatory, adding that this reflected a broader pattern within the DMK.
“In today’s India, people from every state work everywhere – North, South, and across the world. No job is small. No citizen is inferior,” the Tamil Nadu BJP said.
The BJP alleged that these comments are ‘reckless and dangerous’ as they come at a time when incidents of violence against migrant workers are ‘rising’ in Tamil Nadu.
“This isn’t an isolated slip; it’s a pattern. DMK leaders have repeatedly derided migrant workers, especially for being North Indian or for speaking Hindi. At a time when violence against innocent migrant workers in Tamil Nadu is rising, such statements are reckless and dangerous, branding an entire community as ‘low standard’ and fuelling hate on the streets,” it said.
The saffron party also questioned the silence of leaders from the opposition INDIA bloc.
It wrote, “Now a direct question to the INDI alliance: if you claim to stand for unity, human dignity, and social justice, why this deafening silence? Is alliance compulsion more important than national unity?”
It further asked whether Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav “endorse this hatred by staying quiet?”
“Is this your idea of justice, which is dividing Indians for votes? Complete shame,” it concluded.
Meanwhile, DMK spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah said “there is dignity in every legal work”, adding that they were “not against it,” NDTV reported.
He stated that the state had “nothing against Hindi speakers or the jobs they do”.
Further, he stressed that the state minister’s comments were criticising Centre’s three-language policy.
“The two-language policy has helped Tamil Nadu and its people. English has given people development and global opportunities. Without this priority for English, people in Hindi-speaking states have not been able to develop in education,” he said in a video statement.