In a video that went viral on social media platform X, RS Bharathi, a prominent figure of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), is seen delivering a speech at an event commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of former DMK chief M. Karunanidhi.
His remarks regarding the actions of the Governor have sparked controversy as he openly voiced his frustrations. Bharathi criticised the Governor’s involvement in generating “issues” for the present administration.
As reported by The Commune, he said, “What is the Governor doing? He just wants to create problems for the ruling government. We have seen so many governors, but what this Governor does is create a fuss and drag us into a fight. He refuses to sign the bills we send. I addressed a gathering about what happened to him in Nagaland; they chased him away. Don’t mistake me; I am just quoting an example. The people of Nagaland eat dog meat. If someone who eats dog meat themselves has so much self-respect that they chased away this Governor, then imagine how much self-respect Tamils, who consume food with salt, would have. The day he was chased away, the people of Nagaland celebrated it like Deepavali.”
The remarks in the video triggered a rapid reaction from Governor RN Ravi, who came to the defence of the Nagas and rebuked Bharathi’s comments. The official Raj Bhavan X social media account issued a statement that read, “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.”
In reaction to the criticism from Governor Ravi, Bharathi provided clarification for his comments to The New Indian Express, stating, “I concur with his statement that Nagas are brave, and that’s why they chased him away from their state. I meant that if even Nagas could chase him away, then Tamils are certainly capable of doing the same. I will address the press and provide a more detailed response on Monday.”
This is not the initial instance of RS Bharathi speaking in this manner.
In an event held in Ambattur, Chennai, in 2021, DMK leader RS Bharathi disparaged the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Edappadi Palaniswami. He said, “He has forgotten with whose help this dog, this man sat on the CM’s chair. Those who kick the ladder that they used for climbing up have never met a good end. I would say even MGR is also like that. MGR was nurtured and made into a leader by this movement. But you know what happened when he betrayed. He passed away without being able to speak.”
Furthermore, he made disrespectful statements against former TN Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, insinuating that he played a role in her incarceration in the TANSI case and even proposed communicating with her from her memorial. He said, “Go wake her up from the samadhi [memorial] and ask.” He also added, “Recently, Jayalalithaa’s memorial hall was opened on January 27. They gave ₹40,000 per bus from all over Tamil Nadu. They gave ₹2000 to those who boarded the bus. They picked them up and dropped them off at Marina Beach. Edappadi and OPS thought that the whole crowd would come to the Jayalalithaa memorial. But the crowd thought, instead of visiting that ‘moodhevi’ (a derogatory slang in Tamil), they visited Kalaignar’s [Karunanidhi’s] memorial”.
RS Bharathi also stirred controversy with derogatory comments about Dalit judges during a speech at the DMK youth wing headquarters in 2020. In his address, the DMK MP insinuated that individuals from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community only became judges due to handouts or “picchai” from the Dravidian Movement.
This recent incident underscores the ongoing tensions between members of the ruling DMK party and Governor Ravi, with allegations and conflicts recurring. The recent petrol bomb attack on the Raj Bhavan also witnessed some DMK members and certain segments of the media downplaying its seriousness.
