A political firestorm has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the DMK government of harassing Bihari migrants, prompting a strong condemnation from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
The controversy began during the PM’s campaign speech for the upcoming Bihar elections, where he targeted the DMK’s stance on migrant workers from the state.
“In Tamil Nadu, the DMK people harass the hardworking people of Bihar,” PM Modi stated, exposing what he called the “duplicity” of the state government.
Objecting to this strongly, Chief Minister Stalin took to his X handle to issue a rebuttal. He framed the Prime Minister’s comments as part of a broader pattern of the BJP fomenting regional divisions for electoral gain.
He wrote, “As a Tamil individual, I painfully urge Mr. Narendra Modi, who often seems to forget that he holds the honorable position of Prime Minister for everyone in this country, not to lose the dignity of his responsible position through such speeches. Whether it is Odisha or Bihar, wherever they go, BJP members express their hatred towards Tamils for the sake of election politics. In my capacity as the Chief Minister of the people of Tamil Nadu, I strongly condemn this. I emphasize that the Prime Minister and the BJP must stop these petty political activities, such as fostering enmity between Hindus and Muslims, and behaving in a way that creates enmity between Tamils and the people of Bihar, in a great India that is proud of its diversity and ‘Unity in Diversity’ and focus on the nation’s welfare.“
இந்த நாட்டிலுள்ள அனைவருக்குமான மாண்புமிகு பிரதமர் பொறுப்பில் இருக்கிறோம் என்பதையே திரு. @narendramodi அவர்கள் அடிக்கடி மறந்து, இதுபோன்ற பேச்சுகளால் தன்னுடைய பொறுப்புக்குரிய மாண்பை இழந்துவிடக் கூடாது என்று ஒரு தமிழனாக வேதனையுடன் கேட்டுக் கொள்கிறேன்.
ஒடிசா – பீகார் என்று எங்கு… pic.twitter.com/HweXlXM5yE
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) October 31, 2025
However, the Prime Minister’s remarks align with multiple instances in which DMK leaders have made controversial comments against Hindi speakers and North Indian migrant workers, especially those from Bihar. The ruling DMK has frequently displayed hostility toward the Hindi language and northern communities, often framing linguistic identity as a political tool.
DMK leaders, including ministers and MPs, have been accused of making derogatory remarks equating Hindi speakers with poverty and menial labor. TM Anbarasan compared North Indian population growth to pigs and mocked Hindi speakers as cattle herders and panipuri sellers. A Raja, Dayanidhi Maran, Ponmudy, and Mano Thangaraj have also been recorded making disparaging comments about Hindi and its speakers. Senior leader Duraimurugan called Hindi inauspicious and referred to North Indians as unhygienic and barbaric.
Several comments have specifically targeted Biharis. DMK Minister KN Nehru claimed that “Biharis lack brain as Tamilians have. People from Bihar are not as intelligent as Tamilians,” and accused Lalu Prasad Yadav of filling railway jobs with Biharis through cheating. RS Bharathi compared Tamil Nadu’s Governor to a “Bihari panipuri seller” and said that “Tamil Nadu taxpayers feed people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh at Amma Unavagam.” The DMK’s IT wing and its affiliates have also in every possible instance used “Bihari” and “Vadakkan” as slurs.
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