VELLORE: Chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin issued a warning to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cautioned the BJP-led NDA govt at the Center not to “play with fire” by attempting to stifle the voice and rights of the Tamil people.Campaigning for the candidates of the India bloc in Vellore on Tuesday, Stalin took a strong exception to recent remarks made by Union minister Piyush Goyal, who allegedly labeled critics of the BJP’s policies as “illiterate.” “Mr Piyush Goyal, hold your tongue,” Stalin remarked. “You are merely the BJP’s in-charge for Tamil Nadu. Do not speak with such arrogance. Tamils are a self-respecting and knowledgeable people. If you insult our dignity, the retaliation from Tamil Nadu against your arrogance in Delhi will be severe,” he said.Stalin came down heavily on the Union government’s plan to reduce the political representation of southern states in the parliament based on population. “We followed the Union govt’s advice on family planning to ensure growth. Now, they are planning to punish us for that success by reducing our parliamentary seats. This is a conspiracy against the states that progressed,” Stalin said, adding that he had released a video earlier officially alerting the Prime Minister to this “fascist agenda.”Turning his guns on the opposition, Stalin launched a scathing attack on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. He accused EPS of being a “political chameleon” who acted as a mask for the BJP’s entry into Tamil Nadu. “Palaniswami knows neither ‘Dravidam’ nor ‘Anna’ policies. That is why the whole of Tamil Nadu views him as a political embarrassment,” Stalin said.He reminded the people that the AIADMK supported the CAA in parliament, claiming that the law would not have passed in the Rajya Sabha if the AIADMK had voted against it. “A vote for AIADMK is a vote for the BJP, which will push Tamil Nadu back by a hundred years,” he warned.Stalin pitched the vision for his next term, which he termed “Dravidian Model 2.0.” He promised that his government would “break its own records” in welfare and development. Highlighting his performance as chief minister, Stalin listed infrastructure projects completed in Vellore, including the Hogenakkal Integrated drinking water project, the govt Pentland multi-specialty hospital, Tidel parks, and several new bridges and check dams across the Palar river.Stalin made an emotional appeal: “I stand here as the son of Kalaignar. This is not just a battle for te DMK; it is a battle for the survival of Tamil Nadu. Choose between the ‘Tamil Nadu team’ and the ‘Delhi team’.”
