"This election is to protect TN from BJP-RSS": Congress MP Manickam Tagore
New Delhi, March 12
Congress MP Manickam Tagore claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "stopped insulting people of Tamil Nadu" by switching from Hindi to English during his public rally in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli on March 11.
The Congress MP sounded confident about the INDIA alliance's chances in Tamil Nadu and said that the polls are about protecting the pride of Tamil Nadu.
"In Tamil Nadu, the BJP and NDA are going to lose badly. Yesterday, their rally was a flop...Usually, the PM speaks in Hindi, but yesterday he spoke in English. He has stopped insulting people of Tamil Nadu by speaking in Hindi. This election is to protect Tamil Nadu from the attack of the BJP-RSS. The INDIA alliance will win and form the government under MK Stalin," Tagore told ANI on Thursday.
PM Modi on Wednesday unveiled multiple development projects worth around Rs 5,650 crore in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu and said his government's goal "is to create a developed Tamil Nadu for a developed nation".
PM Modi said the projects will boost energy access, connectivity and create thousands of jobs for the youth of Tamil Nadu.
"Each of these roads isn't only a piece of physical infrastructure. Patients can access better healthcare, students can travel to schools and colleges comfortably, and farmers can travel to different places to sell produce or buy inputs. Overall, each road lifts the rural economy and increases ease of living," he said.
He also laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum City Gas Distribution, which has an outlay of nearly Rs 3,700 crore
"This network covers the Nilgiris and Erode districts of Tamil Nadu. It will provide piped natural gas to nearly nine lakh families and hundreds of commercial organisations. Piped gas will flow directly to the home, boosting ease of leaving. Thousands of jobs will be created directly and indirectly," the PM said.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the Prime Minister inaugurated 89 rural roads spanning 370 km in Tamil Nadu, which will significantly improve connectivity to markets, schools and healthcare facilities in rural areas.
The Tamil Nadu elections are set to happen in April or May, with all political parties gearing up to prepare for campaigning. Both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the DMK-led alliance (with Congress) have almost finalised the seat-sharing arrangement.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a Tamilian, I appreciate the sentiment of protecting our state's identity. But calling a PM's speech in Hindi an "insult" is too much. Many of us understand Hindi. The election should be about governance, roads, and gas connections, not this divisive rhetoric.
Interesting perspective from the Congress MP. The language a leader uses to connect with locals does matter. However, the infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores seem substantial. Voters will likely weigh both symbolic gestures and tangible development.
TN has always valued its Dravidian culture. The BJP-RSS ideology does feel alien here. The INDIA alliance standing for Tamil pride resonates. But they must also have a solid plan for the economy and youth employment. 🗳️
Modi ji is investing so much in Tamil Nadu's infrastructure. 370 km of rural roads and gas for 9 lakh families! This is real work. The opposition is just playing the old language card because they have no development story to tell.
Respectfully, I disagree with Mr. Tagore's framing. Elections are about choosing a future, not just "protection" from a boogeyman. Tamil Nadu is smart enough to see through fear-mongering. Let's debate policies, not perpetuate an "us vs them" narrative.
V < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.