Tiruppur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc, saying that they are “scared of the BJPs increasing power and are deceiving and dividing people of Tamil Nadu in a struggle to save their chair”.
“They have accepted defeat. Now, they are thinking on how to loot Tamil Nadu people in 2024. But people have made up their mind; they will lock this loot shop. Now, Tamil Nadu is preparing for the BJP to end this corrupt politics,” he said Tuesday at the closing ceremony of ‘En Mann En Makkal’ padyatra in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district.
The ‘En Mann En Makkal’ padyatra was started by BJP state chief K Annamalai from Rameshwaram on 28 July, 2023.
“BJP might not be in power in Tamil Nadu, but it has always been in the heart of BJP. All my Tamil brothers and sisters understand this. As much as people of Tamil Nadu are innocent by heart, they are also intelligent. Now, they are trusting the BJP. Today’s crowd is telling us that,” Modi told a roaring crowd at a public rally in Palladam.
The PM’s push in Tiruppur is seen as a southern push ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in a state where it is trying to find a toehold. In September last year, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) had exited from the NDA fold, accusing the BJP of not reigning in its state chief Annamalai.
On the other hand, the M.K. Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is in power in the crucial southern state. A prominent member of INDIA bloc, Stalin has already finalised Lok Sabha seat sharing pacts with Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KDMK) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Talking about his old connection with Tamil Nadu, PM Modi said the 1991 ‘Ekta Yatra’ had started from Kanyakumari.
“I had smeared the soil of Tamil Nadu with two missions — one that I will unfurl the Indian flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. The second was the abrogation of Article 370. Today, the flag is fluttering in Lal Chowk and Article 370 has become history,” he said, reaching out to the masses.
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‘More funds to Tamil Nadu’
The PM said that the Centre had allotted more funds for the welfare of the state in the last ten years as compared to other governments in the past.
Tamil Nadu, along with its neighbours Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala, all non-BJP ruled states, has been demanded that the Modi government ensure ‘fair tax devolution’ at least during the fag end of its tenure.
“We initiated the Production Link Incentive (PIL) scheme for the textile industry because of which investment proposals worth around 20,000 have come forth. And now, we are expecting turnovers of nearly 2 lakh crores. Our scheme has benefited people,” Modi said.
He mentioned Virudhunagar textile park, the first PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park, that is expected to generate employment to as many as 20 lakh people.
The PM underlined that his government has ensured “free grains, smoke-free households and housing for rural families” while talking about ‘Modi Guarantees’.
‘Padyatra, Jayalalitha & Vikas’
PM Modi said that the padyatra was to free Tamil Nadu from dynastic politics and corruption and to start development work. “Tamil Nadu is going to become the new vibrant centre of politics and development. The historical ‘En Man En Makkal’ padyatra is proof of that.”
While paying tribute to iconic leaders MGR and Jayalaithaa, PM Modi said their politics was against the dynasty and for educating people.
“After MGR, it was Amma Jayalaithaa who gave her life for Tamil Nadu. Today from the land of Tamil Nadu, I want to extend my condolences. I had the opportunity to work with Jayalalitha, and I know that she was connected to the people of Tamil Nadu and worked for their prosperity.”
PM Modi then turned to his pet theme of making India the third largest economy in his third term. “We are talking about making India the third largest economy, but, on the other hand, the opposition is solely fueled by hatred for Modi. Have you ever heard them talk about development, economy, industry and education? Their only concern is to keep their family business running,” he asserted.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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