TIRUNELVELI: Speaking at what he called his final public meeting in Tamil Nadu before India goes to poll, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the DMK and Congress (both part of the INDIA bloc) of destroying Tamil identity in the name of Dravidam. PM Modi was in Ambasamudram canvassing votes the BJP candidates here, when he exhorted the public to vote for the NDA bloc.
“The BJP loves Tamils and their culture. Freedom fighters like the Marudhu brothers, Kattabomman and Velu Nachiyar hailed from southern Tamil Nadu. We are following Kamaraj’s honesty, and are going to set up Thiruvalluvar cultural centres across the world to promote Tamil culture. However, the DMK and Congress are attempting to destroy Tamil identity and culture in the garb of Dravidam. They acted against jallikattu, and relinquished Katchatheevu to a foreign country, which is now impacting the rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen,” Modi said.
The prime minister further alleged that the DMK government is encouraging those involved in drug peddling. “There is a market worth hundreds of crores for drugs in Tamil Nadu. Even a child knows who is safeguarding the drug peddlers.
I will not be a mute spectator to the drug menace and will make the country drug-free,” he said and accused the DMK of defaming AIADMK supremo MGR and J Jayalalithaa. Modi also said out that his government has fulfilled the demands of the Devendra Kula Vellalar community.
“We have worked hard for the development of Tamil Nadu in the past 10 years. We introduced a ‘Vande Bharat’ train from Tirunelveli to Chennai. We are planning on introducing a bullet train service in the southern part of the country. We have given 1.2 lakh drinking water connections to households in Tamil Nadu under the Jal Jeevan Mission, constructed 12 lakh houses, and built 57 lakh toilets,” Modi said at the event, attended by all five candidates, namely, Nainar Nagendran, Pon Radhakrishnan, John Pandian, Vijayaseelan, and Raadhika Sarathkumar.