"If You Have The Guts...": BJP's Big Bihar Challenge To MK Stalin

A political storm has erupted over Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's visit to Bihar, where elections are due this year-end, with the BJP raking up the controversy over the "anti-Bihar" and "anti-Sanatana" remarks made by DMK leaders in the past. The BJP has also dared Mr Stalin, who heads the DMK, to repeat the comments on Biharis by his colleague Dayanidhi Maran and by his son Udhayanidhi on the Sanatana Dharma, if he has the "guts", when he reaches the election-bound state this afternoon.

The online offensive by the BJP's state spokesperson in Tamil Nadu, Narayanan Tirupathi, follows Mr Stalin's visit to Bihar to join the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to mobilise support and display the opposition strength.

"I challenge Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who is going to Bihar: If you have the courage, can you speak there about your son Udhayanidhi's statement that 'Sanatana Dharma must be destroyed'? Furthermore, can you boldly repeat the statement made by your relative and DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran that "Biharis clean toilets in Tamil Nadu"?" Mr Thirupathi said in an online post.

"Aren't you the one who stands tall with principles? Aren't you the lion of the Dravidian model of self-respect? Let's see you say it," he further taunted the DMK leader, who has been a prominent figure in the INDIA alliance.

K Annamalai, former state BJP chief and one of the most prominent party leaders in the southern state, echoed his colleague's view and hoped that Mr Stalin repeats the "uncouth remarks" in Bihar. 

"TN CM Thiru @mkstalin avl is in Bihar today. Here is an evergreen compilation of his, his party members', and his alliance partners' uncouth remarks about our Bihari brothers and sisters. Hope he takes the stage with Thiru @RahulGandhi avl and proudly repeats every one of those insults in front of the very people he and his party members mocked," said Mr Annamalai.

Mr Thirupathi, in a separate message for Mr Stalin, flayed his Bihar visit as "laughable" and aimed at seeking votes from the same Biharis whom they have been "abusing".

"Your DMK people have been abusing the Biharis as illiterates, panipuri sellers, toilet cleaners in Tamil Nadu...You have insulted Biharis, and now you are going to Bihar. How dare you? First, you apologise to Bihar for abusing them," he said. The BJP spokesperson also branded Mr Stalin as "anti-Bihar", and said, "You are going there for votes. Isn't it shameful?"

The JDU, too, has slammed Mr Stalin's Bihar visit. "Rahul ji has called Stalin sahab in Bihar, who has made vulgar comments on Hindu mythology. He also called Revanth Reddy, who had raised questions on the DNA of Biharis. How can Tejaswi Yadav expect that people of Bihar will support him when he is accompanied by such people with such thoughts," said JDU leader Abhishek Jha. 

The DMK and the BJP had been at loggerheads over several issues over the past few years, among which MP Dayanidhi Maran and minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks were key flashpoints that strained the Centre-Tamil Nadu relations.

In late 2023, an uproar had erupted over an apparently old video of Dayanidhi Maran, MP from Chennai Central constituency; it purportedly showed Mr Maran as saying that the Hindi speakers from Bihar "build houses" and "clean toilets" in Tamil Nadu.

It followed another controversy earlier that year over Udhayanidhi Stalin's "eradicate Sanata Dharma" remark. The minister, who now holds the sports department in his father's cabinet, had compared the Sanatana Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria, inviting sharp criticism from BJP leaders.

Stalin junior had refused to apologise for his remark, despite Supreme Court criticism, stressing his comments were in line with the beliefs of Dravidian icon Periyar.