The rebuttal to the DMK’s controversial statement on migrants from North India has come from an unlikely quarter—from K. Kavitha of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi. In a viral video clip, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran was seen saying that people from Hindi-speaking states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh clean toilets, implying that proficiency in Hindi only fetches menial jobs. This sparked strong reactions from even parties within the INDIA bloc.
In Telangana, Kavitha’s anti-DMK stand came as a surprise. In the past, DMK and the BRS enjoyed friendly ties, with DMK supremo Stalin meeting former CM and BRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao on multiple occasions.
Kavitha’s statements reflected the BJP’s line as she not only condemned the remarks on Hindi speakers but also objected to offensive comments on Sanatan Dharma.
“When parties talk about Sanatan Dharma, when parties talk about calling certain Hindi Party States 'gaumutra' States, or when they talk about disrespecting or insulting the labor who clean toilets, these statements should not be taken slightly. If the Congress party, which is the major party of the alliance, and Rahul Gandhi, who talk about 'jodo Yatra' and about uniting the nation, had taken these statements seriously in the beginning when Sanatan Dharma was insulted, hurting crores of people and their sentiments across India, then they would have never made these statements,”said Kavitha in an interview with ANI news agency.
In the recent past, Kavitha’s actions seemed favorable and friendly towards the BJP. Earlier this month, she tweeted that the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was a “dream of crores of Hindus”. She also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he tweeted for the well-being of KCR, who had suffered a hip fracture.
Delhi-based political analyst P. Pulla Rao says that Kavitha’s words might be a consequence of the prevailing political atmosphere in the state and the legal obstacles she is facing today. Kavitha was questioned in the past by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for her alleged role in the Delhi liquor scam.
“After the defeat of TRS, there is anxiety concerning Kavitha’s future. Since she is also facing legal complications, there are doubts about what traction she will have politically since her father is not in power. She has to take a careful line of securing her political future. She may be reducing enmity with the BJP, not necessarily by joining it, since she will anyway face attacks from the Congress. The BJP may not embrace her but wouldn’t mind her support since there are parliamentary elections ahead,” said Rao.