Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
PM intensifies attack on rivals in Kerala, TN
CHENNAI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed rallies in Kerala and Tamil Nadu — both states go to the polls on April 6 — targeting the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala over Sabarimala protests and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-Congress combine in Tamil Nadu over the ban on bulltaming sport Jallikattu.
Addressing a rally in Madurai, Modi spoke of a feud between DMK president MK Stalin and his elder brother MK Alagiri, saying that “family issues turned peace-loving Madurai into a mafia den”. “DMK and Cong will not guarantee either safety or dignity for you... DMK tried to make a peace-loving Madurai a mafia den just because of family complications...,” Modi said.
The BJP and the ruling All India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam are allies in Tamil Nadu.
In Kanyakumari, the PM also took a swipe at the DMK over dynastic politics, saying the “crown prince” sidelined many senior leaders, referring to the ascent of party chief MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi. “In TN, the situation is such that senior DMK leaders who worked shoulderto-shoulder with Kalaignar are feeling suffocated due to the newly minted crown prince (Udhayanidhi) of the party.”
He further attacked the DMKCongress combine over Jallikattu, saying it was banned in 2011 when the Congress- led UPA was in power at the Centre. “One UPA leader described Jallikattu as a barbaric practice. Really? Is that the word you use for something that is part of the Tamil culture for centuries?”
Jallikattu is a traditional sport that is performed during the Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu.
Later in the day, the PM addressed two rallies in Kerala, where he hit out at the ruling Left Democratic Front and the main Opposition United Democratic Front. “Disproportionate assets, disrespect towards women, destroying public property - this is what local UDF and LDF MLAs are doing. When the leadership is such, people will feel unhappy and disconnected from politics,” he said in Thiruvananthapuram.
In Pathanamthitta district, where the famous Lord Ayyappa temple is located, Modi raised the Sabarimala issue, saying: “I fail to understand, which government will shower lathis on innocent devotees? Which government will repeatedly attack its own citizens?”
The state witnessed violent protests after the LDF government decided to implement the 2018 Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at the shrine.