NAGERCOIL: AT the southern tip of the mainland as part of the election campaign, one of the last pocket boroughs of the Congress in Dravidian Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his attack on the national rival, reeling out its allegedly unending list of scams.
In his second visit to the State in as many days, Modi addressed a well-attended meeting at Eluchattupathu near Kanyakumari on Sunday, where the Congress, DMK and AIADMK came under severe attack from him.
The latest controversy over the purchase of AgustaWestland helicopter was not raised by his party but a court in Italy, he said, following it up with a list of scams that happened under the Congress.
Without naming its partner from Tamil Nadu, the DMK, Modi said big names from the State were involved in the spectrum sale scam.
Taking on the AIADMK, Modi said rice that cost Rs 27 per kilogram was being supplied to Tamil Nadu to be distributed among the poor. “The Centre was not putting the Prime Minister’s name or photograph,” he said, adding: “We are happy that the rice we give is removing the hunger of the poor in Tamil Nadu.”
Wooing the voters in the region where the BJP has relative strength, Modi said his government has undertaken several schemes for the district like the Rs 21,000 crore Colachel port project, the preliminary works for which has begun, and the expansion of the highway from Nagercoil to Thiruvananthapuram that would boost the tourism potential of the district.
His was a government of action, he said, noting the efforts it took through diplomatic channels to bring back the five fishermen from the State who were staring at the noose in Sri Lanka.
Another example was securing the release of Jesuit priest Father Alexis Premkumar Antonysamy from the custody of Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan, the Prime Minister added.
“The people here should choose development and corruption-free government in Tamil Nadu by voting for BJP,” Modi added.
His cabinet colleague and local MP, Pon Radhakrishnan, and other leaders, and candidates for Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts were present during the meeting.
‘Mine is a A Govt of Action’
Noting that his was a govern-ment of action, Modi highligh-ted the efforts it took to secure the release of Jesuit priest Father Alexis Premkumar Antonysamy from the Taliban’s custody.
Rice for the Poor in TN
Modi said rice that cost Rs 27 per kg was being supplied to the poor in TN. “We are happy that the rice is removing hunger of the poor,” he said.
The people here should choose development and corruption-free government in Tamil Nadu by voting for the BJP
— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister