M. K. Stalin, president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), on Thursday strongly responded to remarks made by Narendra Modi. Stalin challenged the Prime Minister to repeat his earlier accusations about the alleged ill-treatment of Bihar workers in Tamil Nadu during his upcoming roadshow in Chennai on April 4.
Stalin said that such statements were false and not suitable for a leader of the Prime Minister’s position. He stressed that Tamil Nadu has always been a peaceful place where people from different cultures and states live together without fear.
He also criticized Modi’s claim that the missing keys of the Jagannath Temple treasury in Odisha had been taken to Tamil Nadu. Stalin called this accusation baseless and misleading.
In addition, Stalin referred to comments made by Dharmendra Pradhan, who had reportedly described the Tamil Nadu government and its Members of Parliament as “uncivilised” in Parliament. Stalin said such remarks show disrespect and reflect a negative attitude from the central government towards Tamil Nadu.
He further stated that this criticism of Tamil Nadu is linked to the influence of Periyar’s ideals in the state. According to Stalin, these values of equality and social justice are strongly followed in Tamil Nadu, which may be the reason behind such attacks.
Stalin made these comments while campaigning for candidates of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in several constituencies in Coimbatore district. These included Coimbatore North, Coimbatore South, Sulur, Kinathukkadavu, Pollachi, Valparai, Thondamuthur, Mettupalayam, Singanallur, and Kavundampalayam.
Overall, Stalin’s speech highlighted strong political tensions between the state government and the central leadership, especially ahead of key political events and campaigns.