Bharathi said Ravi could not understand the language, and emphasised that he said nothing critical of the people of Nagaland.
Published Nov 06, 2023 | 3:06 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 06, 2023 | 3:07 PM
RS Bharathi, RN Ravi.
DMK leader RS Bharathi on Monday, 6 November, dismissed Governor RN Ravi’s allegation that he offended Nagas and asserted he did not make any comment critical of the northeastern people.
Bharathi told reporters Ravi could not understand the language and emphasised that he said nothing which was critical of the people of Nagaland.
Only Ravi deserved a comment denouncing him and certainly not the people of Nagaland, he said.
While strongly criticising Ravi, Bharathi made a passing reference at a DMK event to the eating habits of the people of Nagaland and Tamil Nadu, and said this was an “example”.
Ravi had been the Governor of Nagaland, a post he now holds in Tamil Nadu. That is the link to the DMK leader’s comment.
Ravi on Sunday alleged Bharathi “insulted” the Naga people as “dog-eaters”, which he said was scurrilous and unacceptable.
Ravi’s remark was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the TN Raj Bhavan. The Raj Bhavan also posted a video clip of Bharathi’s comment.
The post said: “Nagas are brave, honest and dignified people. Thiru R S Bharathi a senior DMK leader publicly insulting them as ‘Dog eaters’ is scurrilous and unacceptable. I urge Mr Bharathi not to hurt a community of which the whole of India is proud.”
“Nagas are brave, honest and dignified people. Thiru R S Bharathi a senior DMK leader publicly insulting them as ‘Dog eaters’ is scurrilous and unacceptable. I urge Mr Bharathi not to hurt a community of which the whole of India is proud.”-Governor Ravi
— RAJ BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@rajbhavan_tn) November 5, 2023
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai said that the recent attack on the state Raj Bhavan was a result of such remarks by DMK leaders, adding that the remarks by Bharathi on the people of Nagaland were condemnable.
“The recent attack on Raj Bhavan is an outcome of such uncouth speeches against the Hon Governor by DMK leaders, yet DMK doesn’t seem to have learnt the lesson. Reducing the pride of our North Eastern brothers & sisters to Dog eaters is highly condemnable,” he said in a post on X.
The recent attack on Raj Bhavan is an outcome of such uncouth speeches against the Hon Governor by DMK leaders, yet DMK doesn't seem to have learnt the lesson.
Reducing the pride of our North Eastern brothers & sisters to Dog eaters is highly condemnable.
While Thiru… pic.twitter.com/mJOI7fY8fm
— K.Annamalai (மோடியின் குடும்பம்) (@annamalai_k) November 6, 2023
Bharathi, in the aforementioned event, prefaced his remark as “only an example” and underscored that it should not be mistaken.
When the people of Nagaland, who eat dog meat with so much sense of dignity, chased Ravi and made him run away from that state, the sense of dignity the Tamil people, who eat rice with salt, should not be forgotten, the DMK leader purportedly said.
Ravi was “driven out” of Nagaland by the people of the northeastern state and they celebrated his exit like the Deepavali festival, according to a video clip of the event that was posted on “X”.
A former Rajya Sabha member, Bharathi is also the DMK’s organisation secretary. He made the remark at a party event held to mark the centenary of late party patriarch M Karunanidhi.
(With PTI inputs)
