Family-run parties can’t fulfil youth’s aspirations: PM targets Congress, DMK

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, April 10

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed public meetings in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore and Mettupalayam attacking rivals, ruling DMK and the Congress, over corruption and gifting away of Katchatheevu island in the Palk Strait to Sri Lanka in 1974.

“Family-run Congress and DMK can never fulfil the aspirations of Tamil Nadu’s youth. People are supportive of the NDA’s positive work. The state has decided to bid farewell to the DMK, which promotes ‘divide and rule’ policy. Time has come for Tamil Nadu to lead the developed India,” Modi said as BJP eyes major gains in the southern state where it does not have a single Lok Sabha seat.

Bid farewell to ruling party

Family-run Congress and DMK can never fulfil the aspirations of Tamil Nadu's youth. People are supportive of the NDA's positive work. The state has decided to bid farewell to the DMK, which promotes 'divide and rule' policy. Time has come for Tamil Nadu to lead developed India. —Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Winning seats in electorally barren lands is key to BJP’s 370-plus seat target in the Lok Sabha. The party, which swept the northern belt in 2019, did not do well in any southern state, except Karnataka and somewhat Telangana. In Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, not a single BJP candidate won in 2019.

Coming down heavily on Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK in the state, the PM alleged that corruption was DMK’s copyright.

“The entire DMK family is working together to loot Tamil Nadu. There are three main criteria to contest elections from the DMK and move ahead in the party. First is family politics; second corruption and third anti-Tamil culture,” he said.

The PM warned people against the game of discrimination and division that, he said, the Congress was playing.

“The same game is played by the DMK in Tamil Nadu. The DMK promotes politics based on hate and division. It has never focused on the development of Tamil Nadu. The party insults rich Tamil culture. What is the truth of DMK? When the divine Sengol of Tamil Nadu was installed in Parliament, the DMK boycotted the ceremony,” the PM said.

He attacked both parties on the Katchatheevu issue and said when the Congress government was in power, many decades ago, the Congress and DMK gave away that island to Sri Lanka.

“The Congress remains silent when asked which Union Cabinet meeting took that decision and for whose benefit it was taken,” the PM said, hoping to breach parts of the Dravidian citadel in the southern state by whipping up passions around Katchatheevu that became out of bounds for Tamil fishermen once given to Sri Lanka by then PM Indira Gandhi with the consent of then Tamil Nadu CM and DMK leader M Karunanidhi.

The BJP is contesting Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the Pattali Makkal Katchi, which will contest 10 of the state’s 39 seats. The BJP will contest 20 seats and the remaining will be contested by smaller parties.

All 39 seats go to the polls in the first phase on April 19.

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