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New Delhi, Apr 7: Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas just happened to fall headlong into a deep pit of mindless comments by BJP’s Tarun Vijay, speaking to Al-Jazeera on The Stream - Racism against Africans in India.

As a panelist, former BJP MP Tarun Vijay countered the possibility of racist aspects in the incident of Nigerian students being assaulted by a mob in a Greater Noida mall by saying, "If we were racist why would we have the entire south, which is Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra? Why do we live with them? We have black people around us. You are denying your own nation, you are denying your ancestry, history, culture... “said he who claims to be a fellow India, human being not a politician.

This invited flak from several citizens who took to a micro-blogging platform, to express angst

"Does MP believe "India =North India only? No issue with us South Indians being called dark, but statement is ridiculous for too many reasons" tweeted journalist Suhasini Haidar.

Congress leader Khushboo Sundar said, “Tarun Vijay’s statement in bizarre and senseless. Where does the colour come from…. This is coming from Tarun Vijay. This statement is surprising.”

The former BJP MP later apologised publicly by tweeting "My words perhaps were not enough to convey this. Feel bad,really feel sorry, my apologies to those who feel i said different than what I meant"

Other tweets in reply:

"I am less aghast by the South Indian dark stantement, than the belief that India is a North Indian entity in which others live." - Harini Calamur

Print and broadcast journalist and author Chaturvedi - "Wow just wow! Tarunvijay proves how Indians are among the most racist people in the world!"

"Deeprooted bias is what @Tarunvijay comment on South Indians being black reflects; typically what would be called `northindian attitude’ here !" journalist and documentary filmmaker.

"How odd for Tarun Vijay to make that remark. One of the few (only?) BJP leader from n. India who knows/promotes Tamil." wittily remarked journalist Sreenivasan Jain.