Anurag Thakur targeted the Congress over their ally's remark. (File)
The BJP today alleged a Congress "conspiracy" to insult north India and Hindus after a legislator from their Tamil Nadu ally DMK described the heartland states as "gaumutra states" in the Lok Sabha.
Participating in a debate on two bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar had said that the BJP can win elections only in those states and not in south India.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur targeted the Congress over their ally's remark and said their poll defeats in the heartland states did not destroy their arrogance.
"After their defeat (in the recent assembly polls), they have resorted to abusing. They keep slamming the EVMs, but they went far ahead this time. A conspiracy is being hatched to erase the culture and identity of our country," he said.
He said that this started with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's defeat from Amethi and that he stands with the "tukde tukde" gang.
"But we won't let them divide this country. They want to insult Hindu, Hindi and Sanatan Dharma. The defeat didn't end the Congress and its ghamandiya (arrogant) alliance's (referring to INDIA bloc) arrogance. They are leaving no stone unturned to humiliate north India and Indians," said Mr Thakur.
He also questioned Mr Gandhi's nationwide Bharat Jodo Yatra and the party's choice for Telangana chief minister - Revanth Reddy.
"Telangana's Chief Minister designate had said that 'Telangana's DNA is better than Bihar's DNA'. Do they have Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi's approval? The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (MK Stalin) and DMK leaders have repeatedly made remarks against Sanatan Dharma, Hindus, Hindi and north India is a well-planned conspiracy," said the Union Minister.
The DMK MP's comment had come amid references to a "north-south divide" after the BJP won the elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh while the Congress won in Telangana.
"You (BJP) cannot come to South India. You see all the results of what happens in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka...we are very strong over there," Mr Senthilkumar had said in Lok Sabha.
The people of this country should think that the BJP can only win elections "in the heartland states of Hindi and what we generally called as gaumutra states," he had sad, sparking a backlash from the BJP.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai condemned the MP's "insensitive" remarks and said the DMK's "arrogance" will be the prime reason for its downfall.
Former Karnataka minister CT Ravi had asked if Rahul Gandhi endorses the insulting remarks by the DMK MP.
Earlier, Mr Stalin's son and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had sparked a row with his "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark.