BJP's Tarun Vijay had said, 'If we were racist, would we live with south Indians'.
Highlights
- P Chidambaram reacts to BJP leader Tarun Vijay's remarks on south Indians
- Mr Vijay's remarks on south Indians were widely condemned on social media
- Mr Vijay apologised in a series of tweets yesterday
Congress leader P Chidambaram today took a swipe at BJP leader
Tarun Vijay for his remarks against south Indians, asking whether BJP-RSS members were the only Indians in the country.
"When Tarun Vijay said 'we live with blacks', I ask him who is 'we'? Was he referring to BJP/RSS members as the only Indians?," he asked on Twitter.
Mr Chidambaram is from Tamil Nadu and has been a former Finance and Home Minister.
Mr Vijay had yesterday kicked up a racism row after he appeared to suggest that Indians cannot be called racist as people live with those from south India who are "black".
The controversial comments during a panel discussion on an international news channel had sparked an outrage with the Congress saying it was shocking while the DMK said it was funny.
Seeking to defend India against the charge of racism following attacks on African students, he had said, "If we (Indians) were racist, why would we have the entire south? Which is you know...completely Tamil, you know Kerala, you know Karnataka and Andhra. Why do we live with them? We have blacks, black people all around us".
Facing an all-round backlash, especially on social media, the former editor of Panchjanya, a RSS-affiliated weekly,
had later apologised on Twitter. He had said his words were perhaps not enough to convey what he wanted to say.
BJP spokesperson Shaina NC had said that Mr Vijay could have phrased his comments differently.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had said the comments showed the saffron party's tendency to discriminate among people of the country.
Mr Vijay had claimed that people with African ancestors have been living amicably in Maharashtra and Gujarat. He had also said Indians worship black gods and referred to Lord Krishna.