"He was speaking against the interest of Tamil Nadu": DMK MP Baalu after calling Union MoS Murugan 'unfit to be minister'

This came after the DMK MP during Question Hour in the Lower House, on damages caused due to natural disasters, called Union MoS Murugan 'unfit' to be a minister, a remark which the Bharatiya Janata Party said is an insult to the entire Dalit community.

Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the DMK MP cannot call their colleague 'unfit'.

"Sir, it is not right to call an SC minister unfit. This is an insult to a Dalit," Joshi said.

"TR Baalu was asking a question. A Dalit minister of our Council of Ministers stood up and simply said that you are asking irrelevant questions. And you called him unfit. He is also a Dalit and also comes from the SC community. (Baalu) called him unfit. This is an insult to the Dalit community. We want Baalu to apologise," Meghwal said.

While speaking to reporters, Baalu said Murugan, who also hails from Tamil Nadu, intervened when he was talking in the interest of the southern state.

"We have not recieved any national disaster relief fund, commensurate with the demand made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. Two times a delegation met the Prime Minister and one time an all-party delegation met the Union Home Minister (regarding this). In front of all party leaders, the Union Home Minister promised that I will extend the help on or before January 27. The promise has not been fulfilled. That's why we are worried. That's why (DMK MP) Raja asked the question (in Lok Sabha)," he said.

"The intervention was made by L Murugan of Tamil Nadu. That's why we called him a traitor. He spoke against Tamil Nadu's interests," Baalu said in his defence.

Meanwhile, Murugan while speaking to reporters said, "DMK is unable to tolerate that a minister from a downtrodden community is a minister. This is why he used a derogatory and unparliamentary word to insult my community and me." (ANI)