DMK MP's 'unfit' jibe at minister triggers uproar in House
A discussion on the Centre's flood aid for Tamil Nadu escalated into a massive row in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. This came after Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP TR Baalu accused the Union government of not providing enough support to the state, especially after Cyclone Michaung. He also called Union Minister L Murugan "unfit to be an MP or minister." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded an apology from Baalu, accusing him of insulting a Dalit minister.
Why does this story matter?
The row on Tuesday comes a day after Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Choudhury alleged in the House that the Centre is withholding funds from non-BJP governed states. Union Finance Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday rejected the allegations. She said that the finance commission sets rates without any interference from the central government. "There is no way political interests would come in the way of the states getting the funds," she added.
Union minister denies discrimination
On Tuesday, during the Question Hour of Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai strongly denied any discrimination in fund allocation. He accused "some people" of promoting divisive politics with an "impure agenda." When Baalu criticized the Centre for not giving the state sufficient warning before the cyclone, Murugan attempted to interrupt him. To this, Baalu responded, "Don't interfere. You are unfit to be an MP... you are unfit to be a minister! Sit down!"
Watch: Videos of uproar posted on X
Law minister demands apology after Baalu's remark sparks chaos
Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Meghwal immediately demanded an apology from Baalu, saying, "You cannot call our minister 'unfit'. Take back your words...They should be struck off the record." Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also slammed Baalu, saying, "How can you call him unfit? The DMK government is unfit! Congress is unfit! You called a Dalit minister unfit...He is insulting the entire SC community." The session quickly devolved into chaos as members from both sides raised their voices.
Watch: Baalu's statement here
Centre's reply on flood relief evasive: DMK MP
Talking to ANI after the incident in the House, DMK MP Raja said the party members were agitated because the Centre's reply to the questions on flood relief were "evasive and irresponsible." "TR Baalu wanted to ask some questions but L Murugan stopped him, saying that Tamil Nadu's demands are not reasonable. So then we said, 'you are not fit to be an MP from Tamil Nadu since you are against its interests'," he said.
Karnataka Congress likely to protest in Delhi on Wednesday
Meanwhile, the Karnataka unit of Congress will likely protest against the Union government on Wednesday in New Delhi for not allocating proper funds to the state in the interim Budget. "Karnataka is the state that generates the second-highest tax in the country and it is sad that our state gets a setback every time. For the last five years, the BJP government has been ignoring Karnataka. This is unfair," Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has said.
