CM calls for repeat of 2021 TN-like vidiyal at Centre in ’24

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday issued a clarion call to his party workers to unseat the BJP at the Centre and said that they must be ready to usher in (regime) change in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing party workers at the wedding of former DMK minister Parithi Ilamvazhuthi's son cum party councillor Paruthi Ilamsuruthi in the city, Stalin referred to the various issues raised by his party MPs in the Parliament in the ongoing Budget session and said, "A party is in power at the Centre under such circumstances. Like in 2021, when you had ushered in a new dawn in Tamil Nadu, a situation will arise in 2024 for ushering in a new dawn for the whole country in 2024. You must be ready for it."

Taking potshots at the BJP-led Union government for evading the criticism of the opposition, Stalin said, "Unable to answer anything (questions raised by the opposition), Prime Minister Narendra Modi is staging a drama. Does he answer the questions raised by our Parliamentary party leader T R Baalu? No. Modi came to power, promising two crore jobs per year. What happened to it? There is no answer to it. He (Modi) promised to retrieve black money stashed abroad and deposit Rs 15 lakh each in everyone's account. Was that fulfilled? Did he at least deposit Rs 15,000 in each account? No."

Citing the query raised by Kanimozhi Karunanidhi about the status of the proposed AIIMS hospital in Madurai, the Chief Minister said, "PM Modi himself had laid the foundation stone for the project. Don't know what happened to it thereafter."

Recalling the "AIIMS brick" campaign of his minister son Udhayanidhi Stalin during the previous election, Stalin said, "Should they have not felt shameful at least after that? Should they not fear that brother Udhayanidhi will start campaigning again with another brick for the ensuing Parliamentary election. Still, no answers."

Referring to the Parliamentary speeches of A Raja, Dayanidhi Maran and Thamizhachi Thangapandian, particularly the online gambling ban bill, the Chief Minister said, "When inquired about that, they are clarifying about something else."

Hours after hitting out at the BJP-led Union government, Stalin hosted Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray who paid a courtesy visit to his residence in the city Friday afternoon.

When Kalaignar's pen bowed; Tamil Nadu rose

In a veiled justification of the pen memorial proposed for his father cum former chief minister M Karunanidhi on Marina, Stalin described Karunanidhi's pen as a guiding light for the whole country, and said, "Whenever Kalaignar's pen descended, Tamil Nadu rose."

"His pen strived for developing Valluvar Kottam, inked for establishing the Tidal park, worked to establish Poompuhar, issued orders to replace huts with multi-story residential complexes and created lakhs of graduates. Kalaignar's pen rewrote the destiny of Tamil society. The road map created by his pen has become the handbook of the Dravidian model government now," Stalin added.