What started as a discussion about the BJP government's flood aid to Tamil Nadu had turned into ruckus in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday - February 6 after the MPs of BJP and DMK waged a war of words in the wake of an 'unfit' jibe from DMK MP TR Baalu. The uproar later escalated into a fresh round of tussle between both the parties. 

While Baalu was speaking in the Lok Sabha over the centre's inappropriate flood aid to Tamil Nadu, BJP's Union Minister of State L Murugan, who is also from Tamil Nadu, abruptly intervened and claimed that the DMK members were asking irrelevant questions. After Murugan intervened his speech, Baalu slammed him and said that Murugan is unfit to be an MP or minister. 

Angered by Murugan's intervention, TR Baalu said, "He (Murugan) should know some discipline. You are unfit to be a Member of Parliament. You are unfit to be a minister. You don't have any guts to face us, we will teach you." Baalu's remarks had sparked a heated response from the BJP members including some Union Ministers.

While Baalu didn't use a casteist slur against Murugan, the BJP members had astutely turned the event as an attack on Murugan's caste, strongly signalling that the BJP members had perhaps byhearted the caste identity of each of its members that the party had quickly turned the event as an attack against certain community. 

Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Pralhad Joshi divulged Murugan's identity that he is a Dalit and slammed DMK MP Baalu for insulting a Dalit minister and demanded his apology. Responding to Baalu's remarks, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, "This is not good. How can you call a minister unfit? You should withdraw this remark. You must apologise. He is a Dalit minister. You are insulting Dalits. We will not tolerate this."

In the aftermath of the jibe from TR Baalu, the members of DMK and BJP raised slogans against each other. The DMK has been a staunch critic against the BJP government over its biased share of funds to Tamil Nadu and the state ruling party has been campaigning for state autonomy. Speaking to ANI, DMK MP A Raja said that the party members were agitated because the centre's reply to the questions on flood relief were evasive and irresponsible. 

A Raja said, "TR Baalu wanted to ask some questions but L Murugan stopped him, saying that Tamil Nadu's demands are not reasonable. So, we said, 'You (Murugan) are not fit to be an MP since you are against the interests of Tamil Nadu." TR Baalu has defended his remarks and said, "He is from Tamil Nadu. That's why we said you are a traitor. He spoke against Tamil Nadu's interests." 

Tamil Nadu BJP chief, whose party has arbitrarily suspended several opposition MPs from the Parliament for questioning the Modi regime, called the Parliament as the Temple of Democracy and also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a true champion of social justice. The state BJP chief wrote, "Thiru TR Balu is a disgrace to politics & this is not the first time he has made disgraceful remarks about a member of the Scheduled Caste Community. I strongly condemn these remarks on Hon MoS Thiru Murugan in the Temple of Democracy."