Stalin accuses BJP of corruption, calls for ‘unity’ ahead of 2024 LS polls

CHENNAI: Launching a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya-Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday raised corruption allegations quoting the report by Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and said that the BJP must be “defeated comprehensively” in the 2024 elections.

Stalin alleged that the CAG report claims there have been irregularities to the tune of Rs 7.5 lakh crore adding neither the Prime Minister nor any Union Ministers have responded to this so far.

#Speaking4India: Why is the BJP silent on the accusations of the CAG which exposed huge irregularities worth over Rs. 7.5 Lakh Crores ??? pic.twitter.com/Q61yDDqB9x

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 23, 2023

In the latest episode of his podcast series, ‘Speaking for India’, Stalin said, “How many people! How many crores! Right from the Ayodhya project to the Ayush Bharat scheme, there has been irregularities to the tune of Rs 7.5 lakh crore, claims the CAG report. So far neither the Prime Minister nor the union minister concerned have responded to this. They cannot respond either, That's the reason why Modi takes on different kinds of politics to misdirect the people.” He further said, “In the 2024 elections, the BJP must be defeated comprehensively. All the people of India must unite as one voice to put an end to the BJP's communal, divisive, authoritarian and corporate-driven politics.”

Stalin criticized the Centre for “naming projects with words that cannot even be pronounced” so that no one can figure out “what’s really going on”.

“The CAG report proves that we have been sharing factual insights based on real data. I ask Modi, who accuses INDIA of being an alliance of corrupt people; the CAG report exposes the corruption in your rule. Have you read what the report says? Did you discuss this in the special session? Did you even answer,” Stalin said in his podcast.

The CM added, “Even in the Ayodhya project, the CAG report has shown that the BJP is a corrupt party. They name all projects with words that cannot even be pronounced by the common people. So that no one can even figure out what's really going on.“

Furthermore, the CAG report shows that the BJP will not be able to fulfil its promises, he added.

“The report gives an example of the UDAN scheme. They started this project with a huge bang. It was launched in 2016 with the idea that the poor could travel by air and that airports would be set-up in tier-two cities as well. The union government has allocated Rs 1,089 crore for the UDAN scheme. Out of the 774 routes that were planned, only 7 per cent of the routes are operational and the other 93 per cent routes are inactive,” CM Stalin said.

Stalin alleged that PM Modi falsely projected himself to be a beacon of development before assuming office in 2014.

“Before coming to power in 2014, Gujarat was falsely projected as a haven of prosperity as if it were flourishing all around and through such lies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi falsely projected himself to be the beacon of development,” he said.

“Has he made us a developed country? Can he list everything that India has achieved under his leadership in terms of development,” he said. The CM further alleged the BJP government of utilising the pension funds for advertisements of the Centre.

The Chief Minister added, “According to me, today's BJP government is made up of five Cs. Communalism, Corruption, Corporate Capitalism, Cheating and Character Assassination. This is a rule of five Cs. This would be the befitting description. The BJP has managed to hide it through propaganda and advertisements until now,” he said.

“Next, as we often say the BJP builds a false image through advertising. The funds allocated from 2017 to 2021 in various pension schemes of the Union government have been utilised for advertisement of the Union government and it has been exposed that irregularities have been committed,” the CM added.