'Calling India Gau Mata country matter of pride': Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said India is a 'Gau Mata' country and asserted that there is no dispute about it.

Sarma was responding to a query by reporters on DMK MP, DNV Senthil Kumar's controversial comment in Parliament on Tuesday in which he used a pejorative to describe Hindi heartland states while attacking the ruling BJP.

The comment drew instant condemnation from the BJP as well as DMK's ally the Congress and he apologised for his remarks.

Speaker Om Birla expunged the remarks.

"My only request to him (Kumar) is that in future state that it is as Gau Mata country and not Gau Mutra country. What is the problem in that? Calling ourselves a Gau Mata country is a matter of pride," Sarma said at a press conference.

"What could be better if someone calls it (the country) Gau Mata pradesh? We are a Gau Mata country, there is no dispute about it ... Calling it Gau Mutra pradesh is derogatory ... He (Kumar) should have said Gau Mata pradesh," Sarma, a prominent BJP leader of the north east, said.

In an obvious reference to the apology by Senthil Kumar, the Assam chief minister said "We (BJP) have won (the recent election in the states), so we should be graceful enough. We have to win in the future too.

"We have to work for the society and country in the next three months so that (Narendra) Modi Ji becomes the Prime Minister with 350-400 seats," he said alluding to the 2024 Lok Sabha poll.

BJP MPs created a ruckus on Wednesday too over the controversial north-south divide remark and the House witnessed a brief adjournment during the Question Hour.