Theni (Tamil Nadu): Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought Saturday to corner the Congress on its showpiece poll promise of ‘Nyay’, and sought to know who would do justice (NYAY) for crimes like the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, violence against Dalits, and the Bhopal gas tragedy under its regime.
The Prime Minister addressing a poll rally, a day after the campaign by Congress president Rahul Gandhi here, alleged the ‘Congress’ and ‘dishonesty’ were best friends but sometimes ‘by mistake’, they end up speaking the truth.
“Now they are saying ‘Ab Hoga NYAY’ (justice will be done now) even if they did not intend, they have admitted that all they have done is ‘Anyay’ or injustice for 60 long years (during the Congress rule),” Modi told the gathering.
“I want to ask the Congress party who will do NYAY to the victims of 1984 Sikh riots? …who will do NYAY to all the victims of anti-Dalit (violence), who will do NYAY to the government of great MG Ramachandran ji, which was dismissed by the Congress just because one family did not like those leaders? Who will do NYAY to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, among the worst environmental disaster in India,” Modi said
If Rahul Gandhi invoked Tamil pride and Dravidian legacy to target BJP’s Hindutva line, Modi countered it Saturday by pointing to Tamil Nadu’s spiritualism, late AIADMK leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa and the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils.
BJP also said that the party stood with people on the Lord Ayyappa issue and hailed the state’s spiritual ethos by citing the famous hill shrine of Lord Shiva (Sundaramahalinga Swamy Temple) on Sathuragiri hills in the region.
“Remember that for making a prosperous Tamil Nadu, this game of the DMK and Congress must end. We must continue working for the prosperity of our Sri Lankan Tamil brothers and we must end the dynasty rule of corrupt families,” asserted the Prime Minister.
Without naming anyone, the Prime Minister said the nation was witness to ‘father becomes Finance Minister and son loots the country’, (during the UPA and seen as a reference to a senior leader from Tamil Nadu. The name was not lost on anyone).
