Tarun Vijay BJP MP 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”.

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”.

Knowledge and skilled ex editor of Panchjanya, a RSS-affiliated weekly, Tarun 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.

In social media people blasted Tarun Vijay and asks him to leave India if he feels so uncomfortable living with blacks which is the natural colour of dravidas. and called Tarun Vijay racist . Sensing trouble for their RSS ideology scholar Tarun ., BJP spokesperson Shaina did damage control exercise and had said that tarun Vijay could have phrased his comments differently.

Congress Lok Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge had said the comments showed the saffron party’s tendency to discriminate among people of the country . Former Home minster P. Chidambaram’s , Sitting Rajha sabha MP poser to Tarun Vijay in sarcastic tone and asked “Mr. Tarun - Are BJP, RSS members only Indians” ?!

Dravidian ideology party DMK MP T.K.S. Elangovan has said Vijay’s comments offered a glimpse of a divide between North India and South India.

Facing an all-round backlash, the former editor of Panchjanya, a RSS-affiliated weekly has to made eat his words had later apologised on Twitter. He had said his words were perhaps not enough to convey what he wanted to say.