Chennai: Playing the regional card to woo the Dravidian audience and suit the electoral agenda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his NDA campaign podium here on Wednesday to lash out at the Congress saying it would never be able to fulfil regional aspirations and besides, it has a dubious history of insulting regional leaders, including stalwart K. Kamaraj.
“Our decisions are not taken by a High Command in Delhi. The people of India are our High Command. Our track record shows that the NDA is best placed to fulfil regional aspirations,” PM Modi declared at a massive NDA poll rally that filled the vast maidan by the arterial GST Road near suburban Vandalur.
“The Congress and allies can never fulfil regional aspirations because their decisions are guided by the culture of Command and Family-First. Supporting the Congress and their allies means that decisions will be taken sitting in air-conditioned rooms in Delhi, not in the villages of Tamil Nadu,” the PM said.
Besides, the Congress has been also insulting the regional leaders, Mr Modi argued, drawing from ‘regional’ examples of that party’s harsh conduct towards some southern stalwarts.
“The people of Tamil Nadu will never forget how one Family insulted Kamaraj. What was Kamaraj-ji’s crime? His crime was that he spoke for the people and for democracy. He challenged the corrupt and dictator-like practices of one Family and because of that, he was insulted again and again”, Mr Modi said.
PM Modi said the “democratically elected” MGR government had been dismissed by the imposers of Emergency because of political differences. “If there’s one party that has abused Art 356 again and again, it’s Congress. If the Dynasty did not like a leader, that State Government was dismissed. Congress imposed Art 356 many times, out of which 50 governments were dismissed by Indiraji.
“Even the DMK had been the victim of Congress hatred for regional aspirations. But for the DMK, opportunism has prevailed over values”, PM Modi said.
