‘PM admitted exacting political revenge on opposition’

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has admitted to ‘using’ the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to exact political revenge on opposition parties for the first time in the Parliament.

In the third-edition of his Q and A episode titled “Ungalil Oruvan Bathilgal” (answers of among you) released this morning, Stalin said, “It is a confession statement from the PM on what the ED is used for. For the first time, a PM has admitted in the Parliament to exacting revenge on opposition parties. This does not bode well for the country or independent institutions and democracy.”

Stalin was responding to the PM’s jibe that the ED was uniting the opposition.

Sarcastically adding that he had learnt (from the PMs speech) how to speak for hours without answering any question, the CM said, “Many allegations were levelled against the PM and his government. The PM did not answer any of that. People did not say that they shield the PM. Only he has claimed so.”

Remarking that the PM’s speech was loaded with jargon, the CM said, “He did not answer about the BBC documentary or Adani issue. He did not list out the promises he made to the people. DMK MPs raised many issues like Sethu project, NEET, state rights, governor’s intervention, failure to give assent to online rummy ban legislation. The PM did not have anything to say to Tamil Nadu.”

Rebutting the PM’s critique of the DMK-Congress alliance after the Congress dismissed the DMK regime in the past, the CM said, “Can a person who has aligned with the AIADMK, which had toppled the BJP regime, pose this question.”

Allegations against Adani directly linked to ruling BJP

On the union government avoiding JPC on Adani scam, the CM said, “The allegations against Adani group are directly linked to the ruling BJP. Even the CJI led bench is seriously hearing the case. Hence. It must be discussed in the Parliament. JPC must be ordered. Brother Rahul Gandhi has raised valid questions. It is shocking that the PM has not uttered a word about it.”

Expunging Parli speech does not erase public memory

Describing the expunging of Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge’s speech in the Parliament as violation of the tradition of Parliamentary democracy, the CM said, “Expunging them from Parliament records does not erase it from people’s minds.”