PUDUKOTTAI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday slammed the ruling DMK government as a symbol of corruption and accused it of routinely insulting the beliefs of Hindus. Charging that Chief Minister M K Stalin’s “dream of making his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the next CM” will never come to pass, the senior BJP leader claimed that TN will reject this “one-family rule” and expressed confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will capture power in the state in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Addressing the closing ceremony of state BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran’s Tamilagam Thalai Nimira Tamilanin Payanam Yatra at Karuveppilan Gate in the district, Shah alleged that the DMK is “the most corrupt party in India”, claiming that a DMK minister had continued to hold office for 243 days even after being jailed. He alleged that the party’s leaders had been named in multiple cases ranging from a cash-for-jobs scam, money laundering to illegal sand mining and coal scams, and asked whether TN could progress under such a regime.
He alleged that every government scheme under the DMK regime carried a 20% commission and that the state’s finances were being run solely on borrowings and liquor revenue.
Accusing the state government of a pattern of “insulting” Hindu beliefs in TN, Shah claimed that restrictions were imposed in TN during the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, comparisons of Sanatan Dharma to diseases such as dengue and malaria had been made by senior ruling party leaders (a reference to Deputy CM Udhayanidhi), and alleged — without specific examples — that Hindu religious processions had been stopped, and idol immersions barred.
Central funding to TN rose to Rs 11L cr under NDA from ’14 to ’24, says Shah
“By crossing constitutional limits, you are committing injustice against the Hindu community,” he claimed.
Shah also charged that the DMK-led state government routinely broke its own promises, and pointed to police action against protesting sanitation workers, jailing of about 1,300 woman teachers during agitations, arrest of nearly 600 health and anganwadi workers, and what Shah described as a betrayal of the state’s farmers.
He asserted that the NDA will capture power in Tamil Nadu in April 2026 and would also form the government in West Bengal after successive elections victories throughout India in 2025.
Highlighting the AIADMK-BJP partnership as a natural partnership, Shah said it was a proven alliance that had faced elections together in 1998, 2019 and 2021. He claimed that had the alliance remained intact in 2024, it would have secured around 36 seats.
Rejecting the DMK’s charge that the BJP was anti-Tamil, Shah listed NDA initiatives to promote Tamil language and culture, including the introduction of Tamil in UPSC examinations, Tamil announcements at railway stations, a Bharathiyar chair at the Banaras Hindu University, translation of the Tirukkural into 13 languages, teaching Tamil in Fiji and the installation of the Sengol in Parliament.
Drawing a comparison of central funding, Shah stated that TN received `1.53 lakh crore during the UPA period between 2004 and 2014, while allocations rose to `11 lakh crore under the NDA from 2014 to 2024.
SP Velumani attends meet with Shah
Tiruchy: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday held closed-door consultations with senior BJP leaders, amid uncertainty over the composition of the NDA in TN ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. Former AIADMK minister and organisational secretary SP Velumani was also present. Sources said the discussions centred on firming up alliance partners. The meeting came hours after Shah attended the veledictory of TN BJP president Nainar Nagenthran’s statewide tour in Pudukkottai. Leaders from NDA constituent parties, including AIADMK, did not take part in the event.
