Election to end DMK 's corruption, dynastic politics: PM Modi

COIMBATORE/VELLORE: The 2024 election is “to end DMK’s corruption, dynastic politics, drug menace and the Dravidian party’s anti-national ideology”, Prime minister Narendra Modi has said. Ending his two-day election tour of Tamil Nadu with public meetings in Vellore and The Nilgiris constituencies on Wednesday, he said DMK was “synonymous with corruption and scams”.

DMK leaders are blinded by arrogance, said Modi, addressing a gathering near Mettupalayam, which falls under Nilgiris Lok Sabha constituency where Union minister of state L Murugan is contesting. Modi called upon people of Tamil Nadu to teach them a lesson in the election. He also alleged that DMK was ‘anti-Hindu’ as it had opposed the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and threatened to eradicate ‘Sanatana Dharma’.

Earlier, at a public meeting in Vellore, where BJP’s ally Puthiya Neethi Katchi’s A C Shanmugam is contesting, Modi alleged that DMK owned the “copyright for corruption” and hit out at the party for “drug menace in the state”.

At Mettupalayam, Modi brought up the Katchatheevu issue and said RTI documents revealed “betrayal of India by Congress and DMK”. He said, “The price for the betrayal is being paid by our fishermen.

You should teach a lesson for the sins they committed.” Coimbatore candidate and BJP state president K Annamalai, Tirupur candidate A P Muruganandham and Pollachi candidate Vasantharajan were also on the dais.

This election is to put an end to DMK’s anti-national ideology: PM Modi

The PM said NDA govt in the past 10 years has been striving hard to protect the rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen. “NDA govt saved five Tamil Nadu fishermen who were sentenced to death by a Sri Lankan court and brought them back to India,” he said.

“A DMK leader says this election is for sending Modi outside the country. Rather, this election is to send corruption, dynasty politics and drug menace out of the country and to end DMK’s anti-national i deology,” Modi said.
Stating that a DMK leader had asked who Annamalai was, Modi said it showed the party’s arrogance. “This shows that those practising family politics don’t like a young person from a humble background doing honest p olitics,’’ he said.

Hitting out at Congress, he said the party meted out stepmotherly treatment to states and had practised divisive politics. “Its ally DMK is also practising divisive politics,” he said. All that DMK does is negative and anti-development politics, he said.

He alleged that instead of dealing with extremism with an iron hand, the DMK hand was “protecting those behind extremist attack” near Kottai Sangameswar temple in Coimbatore.

Modi said he spoke in Tamil at the UN convention to proclaim that Tamil is the world’s most ancient language. He recalled the installation of Tamil Nadu’s ‘sengol’ in Parliament and regretted that DMK boycotted the installation ceremony.

He recalled the ‘shakti’ remark made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and claimed that Congress “demeans and disrespects women”. Its alliance partner DMK too has the same mentality. “Remember their remarks to eradicate Sanatana Dharma and call to boycott Ram temple consecration,” he said. He hailed the state’s contribution to the country’s space programme. “Tamil Nadu’s contribution to the country’s space programme is immense. So i s its contribution to the manufacturing sector,” he said.