‘BJP is undertaking “Paava Yatra” to seek atonement for Guj & Manipur violence’

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said the BJP 'Yatra' flagged off by Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Rameswaram Friday was a "Paava Yatra" organized by the saffron party to seek atonement for the sins it committed in Gujarat in 2002 and Manipur now.

Speaking at the DMK youth wing functionaries' introduction meeting held at the party's headquarters at Anna Arivalayam, Stalin referred to Amit Shah's visit to Rameswaram for the launch of State BJP president K Annamalai's "En Mann, En Makkal" yatra, and said, "Did Amit Shah visit Tamil Nadu to inaugurate some new project of the union government for the state? Or at least did he visit to inaugurate the already-announced AIIMS hospital in Madurai. No. He has come to flag off some paatha yatra (rally)."

"Is that a paatha yatra? No. It is a paava yatra (sin yatra) being undertaken to seek atonement for the sins committed in Gujarat in 2002 and Manipur now, " Stalin remarked, wondering if the union home minister could undertake a peace rally in Manipur which has been burning for the last two months.

Alleging that Shah has flagged off the yatra in anticipation of violence in a peaceful Tamil Nadu, the CM dismissed the union minister's "dynastic party" jibe at his party as 'boring' and asked, "Are no heirs of the BJP leaders holding political positions in the party? Will everyone renounce (their position) tomorrow? If I start listing out the number of heirs holding positions in the BJP State-wise it would run up to an hour. So, come up with something new, Mr Amit Shah."

Responding to his specific charge about the arrested State Minister Senthilbalaji, Stalin sought to know if the Union Ministers facing criminal cases are not in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Mr. Amit Shah, you raise questions about Senthilbalaji's continuance in the state cabinet. Do you have the courage to pose this question to Prime Minister Modi?" Stalin dared the Union Home Minister.

Alleging that intimidating its opponents using investigating agencies and giving them clean chit after defecting to BJP was the party's dirty politics, the CM recalled the damning observation of the Supreme Court in the ED director extension case and said that the writ of the BJP would run only for a few more months as the reign of the BJP would end.