CHENNAI/NAGERCOIL: Congress president Rahul Gandhi made a stinging attack on AIADMK-BJP alliance, in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Gandhi addressed media and students in Chennai and later a public rally in Nagercoil along with DMK chief MK Stalin. “The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu is being controlled by the PMO from Delhi. This has never happened before,” he said.
In the first poll rally in the State ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress chief addressed every issue being pursued by the DMK, including the “attack on Tamil language and culture” by the BJP-led NDA. “By capturing the State government and institutions, Modi cannot control the people of Tamil Nadu,” Rahul said to thunderous applause.
DMK chief MK Stalin proclaimed that Rahul Gandhi would be the next Prime Minister of India. “...and Stalin will be the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,” responded Rahul. Kanyakumari district, where Rahul was campaigning on Wednesday, is the only place in Tamil Nadu where both the BJP and the Congress still retain a significant clout.
Making a few significant promises, Rahul said his focus, if voted to power, would be to revive the manufacturing sector in Tamil Nadu. “The State could play a key role in competing with China to generate manufacturing-oriented jobs,” he said. Escalating DMK’s point that several industrial majors had left Tamil Nadu for neighbouring States, Rahul said the focus would be on generating jobs.
Rahul also promised to implement the 33 per cent women’s quota if voted to power. “We also have plans to setup a ministry for fishermen welfare.” On the controversial NEET for admission to medical courses, Rahul Gandhi said the concept was discriminatory. “We will look into the issue... I think it’s resolvable.” Citing the agricultural distress and protests by Tamil Nadu farmers, in the past, in Delhi, Rahul pointed out that States governed by Congress had waived farm loans to “assuage their pain”.
‘PM handed over insurance sector to his friend Ambani’
In a no-holds-barred attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi accused Modi of favouring “his friend Anil Ambani” in business deals. “The Prime Minister has handed over the entire insurance sector to his friend Anil Ambani. Everything was designed to help the richest in the country,” he said.
“Modi wanted to be the chowkidar, not the Prime Minister. But after saying that, he gave Rs 30,000 crore to Ambani,” Rahul said. “The Prime Minister’s entire foundation is built on lies,” he said, quoting Tiruvalluvar’s verse on truth in Tamil. “Tamil Nadu has always stood for truth....and the truth will put Narendra Modi in jail,” he said.
In a rare direct criticism of Hindutva, Rahul said, “Modi was attacking not just Tamil people, but every State and every language”. “They believe in the imposition of one idea, which cannot be allowed. We are not going to let Modi or RSS distort your language and culture. We are not going to let them change your history,” Rahul said to thunderous applause.
Putting himself and Stalin in the place of former Chief Ministers Kamaraj and Karunanidhi, Rahul said: “We aren’t big enough to be compared to those stalwarts, but we will, in our capacity, defend the spirit of Tamil people.”
He said the alliance between Congress and the DMK was more than a political pact. “We are here because we see a threat to Tamil history, culture and language coming from PM Modi and RSS. In the 2019 election, the spirit of Tamil people will speak,” Rahul said.
I have no anger against Rajiv case convicts: Rahul
Speaking on the release of the seven convicts in his father Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case, Rahul said: “The court has to take a decision on the matter. I have no anger against them.”
He added: “We are a forgiving people. We do not have animosity or anger towards anybody.” Earlier, Rahul Gandhi interacted with women students of a private college in the city.
Replying to a question as to why he hugged Modi in Parliament, he said Modi has so much anger in him and “he was not able to see the beauty of the world”. He said: “ So I thought that at least from my side, I should show him some affection”.