RAHUL LAUNCHES CONG’S TN POLL CAMPAIGN, HITS OUT AT PM MODI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of disrespecting the language and culture of the people of Tamil Nadu as he kicked off the party’s campaign for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly polls.

“Currently, they are trying to bring one idea of one language, one culture which we are fighting,” Rahul said, launching the Congress’ election campaign from Coimbatore district.

“[Prime Minister Narendra] Modi has no respect for culture, language and people of Tamil Nadu. He thinks Tamil people, language and culture should be subservient to his idea. We feel all languages — Tamil, Hindi, Bengali, English — all have a space in the country,” he said.

The former Congress president also targeted the BJP’S ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. “You have a government in Tamil Nadu that is compromised. Modi uses the CBI, Enforcement Directorate to get what he wants. He thinks just because he controls the government of Tamil Nadu, he can control its people. Nagpur cannot determine the future of Tamil Nadu. People are going to show Modi that only they can determine its future. The prime minister and RSS treat communities with disrespect,” Rahul said. The RSS is headquartered in Nagpur.

Reacting to Rahul’s comments, vice president of the BJP’S Tamil Nadu unit K Annamalai said, “He is needlessly pulling in the RSS; Pranab Mukherjee (late former president)spoke at an RSS function so will he disassociate Congress party from Mukherjee?” The state is due to go to polls before May this year.