Modi a hindrance to Tamil Nadu’s development, says G. Ramakrishnan
“The upcoming election is no ordinary election between various alliances. It is an election to choose between democracy and dictatorship; religious fanaticism and religious tolerance; social justice and crony capitalism; cooperative federalism and oneparty dictatorship. In this, the INDIA alliance has made its choice on the side of democracy, religious tolerance, social justice, and cooperative federalism. But, where is the AIADMK and the PMK candidate in this?” asked G. Ramakrishnan, CPI (M) Politburo member here in Pennagaram on Wednesday.
Campaigning for DMK candidate A. Mani here in Pennagaram, Mr. Ramakrishnan repeated, “I want to ask the AIADMK and the PMK, where do they stand in this.”
Religion cannot be a basis of citizenship according to the Constitution, he said, but the CAA was passed discriminating on the basis of religion and the AIADMK and the PMK supported it as well as the Abrogation of Article 370. “They said it was coalition politics; they bartered away the rights of the people who voted for them,” said Mr. Ramakrishnan.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who elsewhere in his campaign in Tamil Nadu, said the DMK was a hindrance to the development of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Ramakrishnan questioned Mr. Modi if Tamil Nadu providing jobs to migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar was against development. “If all migrant workers have to come here for work, is it UP that is developed or Tamil Nadu?” he asked, adding that on the contrary, it was Modi who was hindering the development of the State by denying exemption from NEET.
Mr. Ramakrishnan also called out PMK founder S. Ramadoss for his alleged ‘doublespeak’.
“When the media asked what score he would give the BJP, he said, it would be ‘0’ since there is no number below zero. Having said that in the morning, he finalised a pact with the BJP in the evening,” he said.
Continuing his attack on the Prime Minister, Mr. Ramakrishnan questioned Mr. Modi on all the promises he made before coming to power in 2014.
“He said he would create two crore jobs each year, what happened to them? What happened to the black money a share of which he promised into the accounts of each citizen? He said he would reduce fuel prices, but they only escalated. When he comes to Tamil Nadu, he pretends to stammer in Tamil, but allocates ₹1,000 crore for Sanskrit development,” he said.
With the Electoral Bonds scheme, BJP turned corruption into a legal business. Such criminality was called into question by the Supreme Court. Yet, this party is now talking about corruption, Mr. Ramakrishnan added.