Stating that the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu was a challenge to protect India’s democracy on the one hand and the secular fabric on the other, DMK women’s wing leader Kanimozhi said no one would be able to save the country if the BJP was voted back to power.

Campaigning at Sayalkudi on Thursday, in support of Navas Kani, nominee of Indian Union Muslim League, an ally of the DMK, seeking election from Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency, she said the coming election was the biggest challenge to Indian democracy and the self-respect of Tamil Nadu.

She asked the people to teach a fitting lesson to the BJP, which had been betraying the people of the State and the AIADMK government, which was playing a second fiddle to the Modi government.

Accusing the Centre of shattering the dreams of thousands of poor students of pursing medicine by introducing NEET, Ms. Kanimozhi said the AIADMK government had failed to rescue students for the sake of remaining in power. It was amusing that the AIADMK had promised in its election manifesto to exempt students from NEET.

She said Mr. Modi, who came to power on development plank, ruined lives of the poor and middle class and destroyed small and medium scale industries after demonetisation and introducing GST regime. Mr. Modi had promised to provide two crore jobs every year but rendered lakhs of people jobless.

After ignoring desperate pleas of farmers to waive farm loans, Mr. Modi had extended loan of more than ₹ 1 lakh crore to the Vedanta, which was trying to reopen the Sterlite Copper in Thoothukudi, she alleged.