MISSION SOUTH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday unveiled mega projects, commissioned at a cost of several thousands of crores of rupees, in Tamil Nadu, where Assembly elections are due this summer. The BJP is fighting the elections as part of an alliance headed by the ruling AIADMK.

While Modi consciously avoided striking a political tone in his speech since it was an official visit, he did subtly send across a message that the Centre was backing the AIADMK leadership comprising Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam by holding up their hands before getting off the stage.

However, he did try to touch the Tamil psyche by quoting ancient poet Avvaiyar and national poet Bharathiar in his speech and

by flaunting his intention to help the ethnic Tamils in neighbouring Sri Lanka. “I am the only Indian Prime Minister to have visited Jaffna [a dominant Tamil area in Sri Lanka],” he said, detailing the steps taken by India to rebuild the lives of the Tamils in the Island Nation. He also promised to protect the interests of Tamil Nadu fishermen, who are frequently arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Arjun Tank

The Prime Minister symbolically handed over a model of indigenous main battle tank Arjun Mk-1A to Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane. The tank has been designed and developed by the Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), a unit of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), in Chennai. “A tank made in Tamil Nadu will be used on our northern borders to keep the nation safe…At the same time, the focus on making India Aatmanirbhar in the defence sector is moving ahead with full speed,” he said. Modi noted that Sunday marked the second anniversary of the Pulwama attack. Among other projects, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension, at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore and the foundation stone for the extension, renovation and modernisation of the Grand Anicut Canal System and some highway projects.