CHENNAI: Dismissing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims that the NDA would form government in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 elections and rebutting his charges against the DMK government during an NDA rally at Mathuranthakam a few days ago, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday accused the PM of failing to respond to any of the state-specific questions raised by him (Stalin) and resorting to empty election rhetoric.
Addressing a public meeting organised by the DMK in Kancheepuram on the occasion of Language Martyrs Day, observed in honour of those who had sacrificed their lives during the anti-Hindi agitation in the 1960s, the CM recalled the BJP’s repeated electoral defeats in Tamil Nadu, particularly the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and dismissed Modi’s claims that the NDA would form a government in the state.
Stalin also stoutly denied Modi’s allegations about governance, law and order, drug trafficking and women’s safety in Tamil Nadu, citing official data and state welfare measures, and asserted that TN would resist political pressure and continue on its Dravidian model of development.
“Honourable Prime Minister, do you remember the last Lok Sabha election? Your party did not win even a single seat in Tamil Nadu despite multiple visits by you. Have you forgotten that the people of Tamil Nadu rewarded you with a total defeat? Edappadi K Palaniswami, your ally, is better known as a 10-time loser. How can a group of failures defeat the DMK?” Stalin wondered.
Recalling the statement of Modi that NDA government will come to power in TN and would develop the state, Stalin said sarcastically, “Tamil Nadu has already developed, and it continues to grow every day. It will be enough if you simply refrain from creating hurdles.” He said TN has progressed in the economy, industrial investment, education, employment, healthcare and social development indices to an extent that even the union government cannot deny. “The statistics from the Government of India” would prove that, he said.
Taking exception to Modi’s comments on drug menace in the state, Stalin pointed out that the union data show most major drug seizures occurred at ports in BJP-ruled Gujarat and Maharashtra. He said preventing drug inflow is the centre’s responsibility.
He also rejected Modi’s claims that TN is unsafe for women and questioned the PM’s moral authority, citing the sensational Bilkis Bano case in Gujarat and crimes in BJP-ruled states.
Earlier in the day, on the occasion of Language Martyrs’ Day, the CM paid homage at the memorial of anti-Hindi agitation martyrs Thalamuthu and Natarajan at Moolakothalam, Chennai, and inaugurated their bust statues at the Thalamuthu-Natarajan complex in Egmore. The martyrs had sacrificed their lives during the 1938-39 protests against the imposition of compulsory Hindi in schools. Stalin also participated in a commemorative procession, paid floral tributes at the memorial of social reformer Dr S Dharumambal Ammaiyar, and had a look at a photo exhibition organised on the occasion.
No more lives would be lost over language struggle, says Stalin
Chennai: Paying tributes to the language martyrs, CM MK Stalin, in his post on the X, said, “Tamil Nadu that loves its language on par with life, stood united and fought against the imposition of Hindi. Each time Hindi was imposed, the resistance rose with the same intensity and resolve. It safeguarded the rights and identity of the many linguistically distinct nationalities of the Indian subcontinent.” Expressing gratitude to martyrs, the CM said, “No more lives shall be lost in the language struggle; our consciousness will never die. We shall oppose Hindi imposition forever.”