People of Tamil Nadu should unseat through their votes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who disrespected Tamils and Tamil Nadu through his anti-Tamil stance and biased treatment of the State, DMK youth wing secretary and Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin said.
Addressing the voters of Nanguneri and Melapalayam in the district on Thursday evening, Mr. Udhayanidhi said Mr. Modi, who had ruled India for the past 10 years, never treated Tamils and Tamil Nadu respectfully. The Union government, which was giving only 29 paise for every one rupee it was getting from T.N. as GST revenue, was releasing ₹3 for Uttar Pradesh and ₹7 for Bihar.
Mr. Modi, who visited T.N. repeatedly hoping to get the Tamils’ votes, never bothered about the State and its people when they were affected by the cyclone and flood in December last. He did not release funds for flood relief and rehabilitation works as Chennai and the surrounding districts, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi were submerged in water.
“Besides visiting the flood-hit areas, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin deputed 10 Ministers to Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi where they camped for nearly a month to expedite relief and rehabilitation operations. The State government, despite financial constraints, mustered its resources for rehabilitation works,” he said.
Construction of Madurai AIIMS by Mr. Modi-led government was delayed deliberately, he charged. He promised that the Citizenship Amendment Act would be repealed after INDIA bloc formed government at the Centre.
Mr. Udhayanidhi, while coming down heavily on AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said he had sacrificed all rights of Tamil Nadu after succumbing to the pressure exerted by the Modi-led Union government.
Listing out the State’s welfare schemes, he promised that those who were not getting ‘Mahalir Urimai Thogai’ of ₹1,000 per month would get it within the next six months. “Of the 1.60 crore applicants, 1.18 crore women are now getting this assistance. We will remove the anomalies within the next six months to give the assistance to the remaining applicants,” he said.
Mr. Udhayanidhi announced that Nanguneri multiproduct special economic zone would be revived. His announcement that ‘Y’ shaped rail overbridge would be built over Kulavanigarpuram manned-level crossing was received with wild cheers at Melapalayam.
