Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday tore into Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “failure to keep the poll promises” and said the electoral bond scheme was the Himalayan corruption, the biggest scam not only in India but also in the world.
Addressing a public meeting near here to seek votes for INDIA bloc candidates B. Manickam Tagore (Virudhunagar) and Rani Shrikumar (Tenkasi), Mr. Stalin quoted the statement made by Parakala Prabhakar, husband of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Mr. Prabhakar had said in an interview that the electoral bond scheme was the biggest scam in the world. The BJP, which was involved in unprecedented corruption, was using Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department, and the Central Bureau of Investigation to cover it up. By making autonomous institutions its political partners, the BJP government had caused a doubt whether the country was being run in accordance with the Constitution.
Quoting the editorial of The Hindu, he said the BJP had encashed several crores of rupees by misusing the raids conducted by Central agencies. He wondered whether the BJP had done anything beneficial to the country.
‘A threat to majority’
Mr. Stalin said the reservation policy, introduced by the Justice Party, got shape through the first constitutional amendment, thanks to the efforts of the Dravidian movement and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. “However, the BJP is the biggest threat to social justice and reservation. The BJP government has not provided the reservation as recommended by the Mandal Commission. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has pointed out that only 3% of the posts of Secretary in the Central government are occupied by people belonging to the Backward Classes and a fewer people of the Scheduled Castes. Is this not a great injustice being done to the majority people belonging to the BCs and the SCs,” he asked.
The BJP was trying to prevent the oppressed classes from climbing the social ladder by introducing the ‘Kula kalvi’ scheme and reservation for the economically weaker section and destroying the dreams of the poor and the middle class through NEET. “The BJP will never accept the BCs, the SCs/STs, and the MBCs coming up in life,” he said. Hence, the INDIA bloc demanded a caste-based census, but the BJP rejected it. “That is why, we have been saying that the BJP is against not only the minorities but also the majority,” he added.
The Centre, which said it was not behind the increasing prices of fuel and gas cylinders in the past, took credit for reducing them ahead of the election. Having increased the price of cylinders from ₹410 to ₹1,103 in 10 years, the BJP thought the people would not see through its drama. Even after failing to keep its promises, the BJP was coming up with an advertisement of “Modi’s guarantee”. “But his poll promises will have no guarantee and warranty,” he added.
Published - March 28, 2024 12:44 am IST
