TN CM likens PM’s poll campaign to migratory bird arriving at sanctuary, poses questions

PTI, Apr 10, 2024, 12:24 PM IST

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday took strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign in the state and likened the latter’s visits to a migratory bird arriving at the sanctuary during season and posed him questions on a series of issues.

The Prime Minister has come to the state with a set of guarantees for the 2024 general elections as his Gujarat model and Chaukidar role has been exposed, he said.

“Prime Minister Modi himself hovers over Tamil Nadu during the election season just like migratory birds come to the sanctuary during the season. … will you give these guarantees?” Stalin, who is president of the ruling DMK, asked in a post on the social media platform X.

He sought to know from Modi, if he could guarantee conducting caste-wise census, remove the ceiling on reservation, strictly implement reservation for SC, ST and OBC, exempt Tamil Nadu from National Eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET), never to impose Hindi and Sanskrit, and transferring education to state list.

Also, the CM wanted to know if the Prime Minister would write off the education loans of students, ensure jobs for two crore youth per year, Rs 400 grant under Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, fixing minimum support price for agricultural produce.

“Will he guarantee reduction of escalating prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinder, abolish tax loot under Cess and Surcharge? Will he say he would ensure the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and CBI to function independently?” Stalin asked.

Ensuring fair devolution of central funds without any discrimination, restructuring the GST, which has affected the traders and small businesses, putting down violence with an iron hand, ordering probe into Vyapam scam to electoral bonds, recovering the territories occupied by China, halt attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen, withdraw Agnipath scheme, allocate NDRF funds to TN, withdraw the Citizenship Amendment Act.

“Also, will you say that you will not treat minorities as second class citizens? Are you ready to give guarantee on all these?” Stalin asked. “Otherwise your guarantees would be exposed as ‘Made in BJP’ washing machine that saffronises the tainted,” the CM added.