Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday filed his nomination to contest from Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency and slammed the BJP-led Centre for ‘imposing Hindi, Hindu and Hindutva’ and ‘ignoring’ the interests of Tamil Nadu.
“People of not only Tamil Nadu, but across the country want to dislodge the “fascist” BJP regime at the Centre,” he told reporters after filing his nomination papers.
Congress Legislature Party leader K.R. Ramasamy, senior DMK leader and former Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments K.R. Periakaruppan were among those who accompanied Karti Chidambaram.
To a question on the delay in announcing the candidate for Sivaganga, he said, “there was no delay”.
The Congress on Sunday released its ninth list of 10 candidates for the Lok Sabha election, fielding Karti Chidambaram from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Karti declined to comment to a question on former union minister E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan’s comment that his father prevented the latter’s growth in the Congress.
A former union minister of State for commerce and industry, Mr. Natchiappan had alleged that Mr. Chidambaram prevented him from becoming not only the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, but also a Minister at the Centre for about nine years (since UPA assumed power in 2004).
“If elected, I will bring large private investments and facilitate setting up of industries suitable for this region and job creation is my first duty,” Mr. Karti said.
To a question, he said his party loved the Tamil people and alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre was fascist.
He said the BJP government was not bothered about the Tamil people and alleged that it was keen only in imposing “Hindi, Hindu and Hindutva.”
On BJP leader H. Raja, (who too filed his nomination to contest from here), caiming that Congress would use its “money power,” he said, “Our election spend will be within the parameters fixed by the Election Commission.”
