DMK president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday termed the alliance of the BJP-AIADMK-PMK and other parties as an opportunistic one “formed by arm-twisting” the AIADMK with a threat of action against its leaders for corruption allegations.
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political speech in Chennai earlier on Wednesday, where he called the DMK-led alliance formed for the Parliamentary election as an opportunistic one, Mr. Stalin said the public knew which alliance was opportunistic.
At a well attended political rally organised by the DMK in Virudhungar, Mr. Stalin alleged that the BJP threatened the AIADMK with action against the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and other ministers by central agencies like the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate [as a tool to agree to the forming an alliance].
He pointed out the recent attack made recently by AIADMK propaganda secretary and Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha M. Thambi Durai on the Union government for increasing unemployment, failing to fulfil election promises and doing injustice to Tamil Nadu on various fronts including the non-release of funds due to the State.
“If the two parties are forming an alliance after all these, their agenda is nothing but retaining power and looting the country more,” he said.
On Mr. Modi’s assurance that he would provide a clean government like that of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, Mr. Stalin said Mr. Modi had no right to invoke the late Congress leader’s name.
“Perunthalaivar Kamaraj was known for his simplicity. Modi, on the other hand, wears suits worth ₹10 lakh,” he charged.
Similarly, he argued that while Kamaraj provided education to the poor through the noon-meal scheme, Mr. Modi took away the aspirations of the poor children by introducing the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical courses
Corporates benefitting
“While Kamaraj brought employment by strengthening public sector enterprises, Modi is taking away employment and destroying the public sector to benefit corporates,” he alleged.
Criticising the Prime Minister for visiting the State only during elections, he urged the people to question Mr. Modi during his next visit about unfulfilled promises and injustices meted out to the State.
He listed failures to act on Karnataka government’s proposal to construct a dam in Mekedatu, to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET, to release the convicts in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case as some of the issues the Prime Minister must be questioned on.