Tamil Nadu: DMK leader M Appavu's month-old statement attributing the development of Tamil Nadu to Christians and that the state would have been Bihar if Catholic Christians were not there has now sparked a controversy.
He claimed that it was Catholic missionaries that shaped his career, adding that the government belonged to the people who "fast and pray to God".
"Chief Minister [MK Stalin] knows that this government was created by you all. You [Catholic missions] can go ahead and speak to your CM and I shall support you. If you are removed, there wouldn't be any growth in Tamil Nadu. If there were no missionaries, then Tamil Nadu would be like Bihar," Speaker Appavu said.
"Catholic missionaries have been the main reason for the growth. The foundation of Tamil Nadu was laid by your work," he added.
On June 28, Appavu and DMK LMA Inigo Irudayaraj participated in the centenary celebrations of St Paul seminary in Tiruchirappalli. Now the month-old speech of Appavu has gone viral on social media. The BJP attacked the DMK and condemned the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker over the issue.
The right-wing party on Monday demanded that Appavu apologize for his "communal remarks."
"Tamil Nadu speaker should apologize as the kinds of words he has used are very communal. He stated that without Catholic Christians, Tamil Nadu would become Bihar. It is absolute appeasement," BJP spokesperson Mohan Krishna told Times Now.
The BJP leader further attacked the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ( DMK ) in Tamil Nadu, saying the party has an "anti-Hindu mindset".
"Since coming to power, the DMK is always in controversy. Their agenda is to demean Hindus there and encourage anti-Hindu propaganda in the state," Krishna said.