Alleging that the electoral bonds proved that the BJP was corrupt, DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday described the bonds as “white-collar corruption” of the BJP.
Addressing a public meeting in Mumbai at the culmination of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Mr. Stalin said, “Who collected ₹8,000 crore in the name of electoral bonds? It is a white-collar corruption of the BJP. Can such a Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) talk about corruption?”
Alleging that Mr. Modi had accused the INDIA bloc of corruption only to divert people’s attention from his “failures and scams”, Mr. Stalin said, “We entered politics to work for the people, not for entertainment. Brother Rahul Gandhi has visited States all over India to understand the heart of the country. It is a journey to restore the country destroyed by the BJP.”
With the election dates having been announced, the INDIA bloc’s only goal was to defeat the BJP, and there was “no bigger threat to India than the BJP”, he said. “We should dedicate ourselves to saving India. The real victory of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra lies in defeating the BJP,” Mr. Stalin said.
Mr. Gandhi’s journey that started in Kanniyakumari “should end with capturing power in Delhi and forming a truly federal, secular and inclusive government. I call upon you all to save INDIA! May INDIA arise!” Mr. Stalin said.
Insisting that the INDIA bloc would form the government, Mr. Stalin said that there was a festive atmosphere wherever Mr. Gandhi went. “Such is the welcome and love given by the people to him. He faced many problems from the BJP government during this journey,” he said.
The BJP government cited many “silly reasons” to deny Mr. Gandhi permission for the yatra, Mr. Stalin said, adding, “Despite all this, he continued his walk boldly. The mass gatherings for Rahul left the BJP sleepless.”
Though Mr. Gandhi was disqualified as an MP, he fought and won in the Supreme Court, Mr. Stalin said. “He roared again in Parliament. This is neither the journey of one man called Rahul Gandhi, nor of the Congress party. This is for INDIA. That’s why it is Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,” he said.
“What India needs now is unity. The BJP, which divides people, will be thrown out of power soon. Prime Minister Modi did only two things in the last 10 years – foreign trips and fake propaganda,” Mr. Stalin said.
He called upon the INDIA bloc to put a stop to the fake propaganda. “From the day we formed the INDIA alliance, the BJP stopped using the very term INDIA. Such is their fear. That is why Prime Minister Modi stoops so low as to defame our alliance,” he said.
