MADURAI: Addressing a public meeting of the National Democratic Alliance at Amma Thidal on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tore into the DMK and Congress, charging that their leaders 'keep insulting women'.
PM Modi also assured that a state-of-the-art AIIMS would be set up in Madurai to provide quality healthcare for people of the region. He shared the dais with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and other alliance party leaders.
The Prime Minister started his campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls by chanting Vetri Vel Veera Vel. "The Congress and DMK have mastered the art of not working and are spreading lies about those working. One classic example is the issue of AIIMS. During their many years in power, they did not even think about bringing AIIMS in Madurai. It was our government that brought AIIMS here," he said, assuring that the project will be completed as per the proper process. This apart, one in every three districts will have a medical college increasing the number of seats in UG and PG courses significantly. "We are ensuring that medical and technical education is in local languages," he added.
Further taking a dig at the DMK-Congress alliance, he said they were pretending to be the only protectors of Tamil culture but their actions suggested otherwise. "In 2011, the UPA won power in Delhi and the DMK had big ministries in their control. Despite this, it was the same UPA government that banned Jallikattu. One UPA leader also described the sport as a barbaric practice. In 2016, the TN Congress manifesto called for a ban on Jallikattu. They should be ashamed of it," he said, adding that it was the BJP government that cleared the ordinance brought by the AIADMK government which allowed Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking on the issues of the Devendra Kula Vellalar community, he said the DMK-Congress government preferred to keep them hanging for several decades. However, the AIADMK-led state government and the BJP-led central government ensured dignity of the community.
"The DMK and Congress will neither guarantee safety nor dignity for you. The law and order situation will suffer under them," he said. He also called Madurai the Mafia den of DMK and added that the DMK-Congress alliance has not understood the ethos of Madurai which teaches important lessons on empowering women. "We see it in the way Meenakshi Amman is worshipped, the respect given to Kannagi, Rani Mangammal and Rani Velu Natchiyar. No wonder their leaders keep insulting women," he added.
Madurai is known as 'Thoonga Nagaram'. "I am sure Madurai has also woken to political realities and would vote for development and progress promised by the NDA," he added.