Senate hopeful Shiva Ayyadurai called out his potential opponent Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) on Wednesday for lying about her Native American heritage, calling her a "fake Indian."
"I think only a real Indian can defeat a fake Indian," Ayyadurai told Fox Business host Stuart Varney.
Ayyadurai, who was born in Mumbai, India, will be running to unseat Warren in 2018. He has been very critical of Warren for claiming she is Native American, Mediaite reported.
Ayyadurai said he sent Warren a DNA test as a birthday gift in early July, along with a note reading, "Dearest Elizabeth, Happy Birthday! As a wise man once said, 'To Thy Own Self Be True.' So what better gift than this to know WHO YOU truly are. Enjoy!"
I'm deeply saddened @SenWarren refused my thoughtful (gift-wrapped) Birthday Gift: the 23&me DNA Test Kit. Most unfortunate! #FakeIndian pic.twitter.com/BI7F20wDW8
— V.A. SHIVA (@va_shiva) July 2, 2017
"I think only a real Indian can defeat a fake Indian," Ayyadurai said. "I sent her a DNA test kit for her birthday and I was very sad she returned it. That's the issue of a real Indian and a fake Indian: the truth. Because there is a woman who actually checked off the box that she is Native American."
Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas, has claimed she was Native American because of family stories she was told growing up. Warren's genealogy has since been heavily debated in the media.
"These are my family stories. This is what my brothers and I were told by my mom and my dad, my mammaw and my pappaw. This is our lives. And I'm very proud of it," Warren told NPR in 2012.