US EditionNorth Indians Clean Tables, Sell Pani Puri Due to Hindi-only Education, Says TN Minister Panneerselvam; DMK Defends Him
DMK Minister Panneerselvam linked language skills to job roles, highlighting Tamil Nadu's two-language policy benefits while sparking criticism for stereotyping North Indian migrants.
- M. R. K. Panneerselvam in Chengalpattu sparked uproar when he said `North Indian comes here to clean tables, why does this happen because he only reads Hindi...`, prompting BJP Tamil Nadu to criticize the remarks on February 4, 2026.
- Panneerselvam argued the cause was language and schooling, linking Tamil Nadu's two-language policy to local youth's overseas jobs while criticizing the Centre's three-language formula and praising M. Karunanidhi, former DMK leader.
- DMK spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah said `Every legal job has dignity- we're not against Hindi speakers or their work`, while TR Baalu and TRB Rajaa sought to clarify the remarks.
- BJP leaders hit back, accusing the minister of mocking migrant workers and undermining unity, warning the remarks could worsen tensions amid rising violence; Bihar Minister Deepak Prakash called them `Unfit for politicians.`
- The controversy revives long-standing anti-Hindi tensions and historical riots, emerging weeks before state assembly elections and echoing debates over the 2019 NEP three-language push.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Opposition slams Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister’s remarks on North Indian migrant workers
‘North Indians come to Tamil Nadu only to sell panipuri, work in construction (sector), and wipe tables’, says Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam; AIADMK, BJP slam Minister; DMK defends him
North Indians sell 'pani puri' here, we send kids to US: TN minister's jibe fuels North-South poll fire
Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam's inflammatory remarks mocking North Indian migrants as "pani puri sellers" and "table cleaners" have exploded into a national row, rekindling Hindi imposition fears and regional divides just weeks before state assembly elections. Panneerselvam's shocking attack on Hindi-only migrants At a Chengalpattu event, Panneerselvam contrasted Tamil Nadu's two-language policy (Tamil + English) with norther…
North Indians clean tables, sell pani puri due to Hindi-only education, says TN minister Panneerselvam; DMK defends him
The state agriculture minister said that people from North India come to the South to ‘clean tables and sell pani puri’ because of their only-Hindi education.
“North Indians Come Here To Clean Tables, Sell Panipuri, Do Construction Jobs,” Says DMK Min MRK Panneerselvam
With only months remaining for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, a fresh political controversy has erupted after Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam made contentious remarks about migrant workers from northern states, reigniting the long-running debate over language policy and north–south political narratives. Speaking at a public event, Panneerselvam contrasted employment patterns of North Indian migrants with Tamil youth, linkin…
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