Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is normally on a foreign tour, has chosen to take an inland tour of India because it is election time and he needs votes to remain in power, DMK leader and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has said at an election meeting in Coimbatore, sharing the stage with Rahul Gandhi, on Friday.
He commenced his speech by saying “Rahul Avargale Varuga - Pudhiya Indiavukkana Vidyalai Tharuga” (Welcome Rahul, present the new India with a dawn).
“Prime Minister Modi, by harping on dynasty politics and corruption, has not insulted the DMK or the Dravidian model of governance, but has gone on to insult the electorate of Tamil Nadu. Anyone can come to politics, whether to accept them or not is the choice of the people. I have answered Mr. Modi umpteen number of times but since he has nothing to showcase as his achievements, Mr. Modi was resorting to such lashing speeches at the DMK,” Mr. Stalin charged.
Mr. Stalin alleged that Mr. Modi was misusing Central agencies, such the ED, the Income Tax Department and the CBI “to extort cash from businessmen in the form of electoral bonds.” When asked about PM Cares, the stock reply is that it is a separate trust, he said.
Reiterating his charge that the AIADMK and the BJP are in a secret alliance, Mr. Stalin said, “’Back-stabber’ Palaniswami was contesting the election without any clue on who should rule India. But the DMK has so many flagship schemes that speaks volumes about the party’s two years of governance.”
He challenged Mr. Modi to speak about the CAG report on “seven schemes and seven lakh crore rupees — Mega scam.“ Why were the CAG officials, who raised these queries, shifted? Mr. Stalin asked.
According to the DMK leader, Mr. Modi was yet to respond to queries on the Rafale jet ‘scam’ posed by the Congress. When Rahul raised the corporate tax waiver issue in the Parliament, Mr. Modi indulged in a personal attack on him.
Mr. Stalin guaranteed that the anti-labour laws, the CAA and the GST would be abolished, toll plazas will be removed and banks charging customers for not maintaining minimum balance would be eliminated, if INDIA bloc was voted to power. The BJP that came with a promise to bring back all the black money through demonetisation has crippled industries and owners of industrial units are left as debtors, he charged.
Mr. Modi was lying through his teeth that the DMK government prevented any good scheme or project for Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin stated. He wanted Mr. Modi to answer two questions — one on diversion of a ₹6500-crore investment to Gujarat and the other about the diversion of a semi conductor unit, again to Gujarat. Does all this reflect the goodness that Modi holds for Tamil Nadu and its people? he questioned.
Mr. Stalin termed the Congress election manifesto as the hero of this election and said that it has all aspirations and demands of the people.
