News Tamil Nadu

“Today Even A Dog Gets A BA Degree”, Says DMK Leader RS Bharathi, Attributes It To “Dravidian Movement”

July 3, 2024
The Commune

Senior DMK leader and former Rajya Sabha MP RS Bharathi has once again sparked controversy with his recent remarks, claiming that in today’s scenario, even a dog can obtain a BA degree, attributing this phenomenon to the alms of the Dravidian movement. His comments came during a protest organized by the DMK’s Students Wing at Valluvar Kottam in Tamil Nadu on 7 July 2024, opposing the NEET examination.

The demonstration, titled ‘No More NEET‘, was led by the Students Wing Secretary and Kancheepuram MLA CVMP Ezhilarasan, where RS Bharathi addressed the gathering. This protest follows the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s resolution advocating for NEET exemption, citing recent irregularities and advocating for class 12 marks as the basis for medical admissions.

During his speech, RS Bharathi underscored that even during Jayalalithaa’s tenure, Tamil Nadu resisted NEET, attributing its introduction to subsequent governments. He criticized the NEET exam, alleging irregularities and describing it as a tool designed to undermine Tamil Nadu. Bharathi credited the Dravidian movement for the widespread access to education today, contrasting the present with his own youth when attaining a BA was rare.

He further accused the Modi government of avoiding discussions on NEET in Parliament due to alleged scandals, asserting this as a triumph for the DMK. Bharathi emphasized that the Dravidian movement’s policies have enabled numerous individuals, including himself and Ezhilarasan, to pursue higher education without barriers of caste or clan.

RS Bharathi said, “I am a lawyer B.L educated. Ezhilarasan BE, BL. All these did not come from clan or gotra. If it was not for the alms of the Dravidian movement and communal GO, so many doctors and so many people with B.E degrees would not have come. When I studied BA, only one person in the town had studied BA. Then they will write the title on the name board outside the house. Now everyone in the town is studying for a degree, even a dog is getting a BA degree. Dravidian movement is responsible for this development.”

RS Bharathi’s recent statement mocking the abundance of graduates in Tamil Nadu, likening it to a feudal mindset has drawn severe criticism on social media.

Earlier, RS Bharathi maintained a similar stance that Dalits would not have been able to ascend to judicial positions in Tamil Nadu. This stance echoes his previous statements. In May 2020, Bharathi was apprehended by the Central Crime Branch of the Chennai city police following accusations of making provocative remarks during a party gathering held in February of that year. Referring to a judge, he reportedly said that many Dalits were inducted into the judiciary because of the indulgence of the DMK leadership during former chief minister M Karunanidhi’s tenure. Speaking at an event in Anbagam (the DMK youth wing headquarters), in February 2020, he said “If Tamil Nadu remains the best state, it is because of the Dravidian movement. No Harijan has become a judge of the High Court in Madhya Pradesh. After Karunanidhi became Chief Minister A Varadarajan was appointed as HC judge. Seven or eight others from the Adi Dravidar community went on to become judges after that. It is the alms (picchai) given by the Dravidian Movement”. He later issued an apology for his remarks.

In another instance, RS Bharathi made racist and derogatory comments about the people of Nagaland. Speaking at an event commemorating the 100th anniversary celebrations of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patriarch Karunanidhi, Bharathi 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.”

On another instance at a meeting (in an undated video), Bharathi ridiculing north Indian labourers said, “The reason why Tamil Nadu is the best state in India is because of the DMK. The people in the other states are fools, they have no brains, these north Indians, I am saying this openly.”

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