A few hours after BJP leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised late AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at an election meeting in Salem, DMK treasurer T.R. Baalu on Tuesday questioned this ‘love’ for the late leader.
Though the AIADMK leaders had objected to Mr. Modi praising their late leaders M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, Mr. Modi was going about praising them, Mr. Baalu said, adding: “The people of Tamil Nadu have not forgotten that Jayalalithaa had posed – ‘Do you want Gujarat’s Modi or this lady from Tamil Nadu?’” Going by his praise, it looked like Mr. Modi would go and sit in the Jayalalithaa’s memorial and keep his eyes closed…”
Referring to the Prime Minister recalling the murder of party functionary ‘Auditor’ Ramesh in Salem, Mr. Baalu pointed out that Ramesh, Paramakudi Murugan, Vellore Aravindhan, Vellaiyappan and Chennai Suresh (right wing functionaries) were all murdered during the Jayalalithaa regime.
On Mr. Modi urging the gathering to recall that the DMK had insulted Jayalalithaa, Mr. Baalu, in a statement, said: “Mr. Modi, please recall that it was under Jayalalithaa’s rule, that they were murdered.”
He further asked, “Can Mr. Modi talk about corruption? The BJP stands exposed across the country over the electoral bonds. Over 50% of the electoral bonds were received by the BJP.”
The BJP used Central agencies such as the CBI and the Directorate of Enforcement to threaten companies into getting electoral bonds, he alleged and claimed that the BJP “legalised dacoity”.
As for Mr. Modi’s comments on the 2G case, the former Union Minister said that the CBI court had acquitted the accused persons in 2017. “The 5G auction should have gone for ₹5 lakh crore but went only for ₹1.5 lakh crore. To whose pockets did not the remaining money go? Will Mr. Modi answer?,” he questioned.
Mr. Baalu further questioned the BJP, and Mr. Modi, over the violence against women in Manipur. “Can Mr. Modi speak like this in Manipur? The scenes of women paraded naked in Manipur put India to shame in the international arena. Did Mr. Modi visit Manipur to meet the affected women?”
The DMK leader also took a dig at Mr. Modi over his remarks that he would convert Tamil Nadu into a holy land. “Mr. Modi would not grant funds when floods hit Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts. Is he going to make Tamil Nadu a holy land,” Mr. Baalu asked.