Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “resorting to wordplay” in his Parliament speech last week, instead of responding to Opposition’s accusations against him and the BJP government on issues like Adani and BBC documentary on 2002 Gujarat riots.
Stalin also said it was shocking that Modi didn’t answer “pertinent questions” raised by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on his alleged links with businessman Gautam Adani. The DMK President also demanded that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) should be constituted to go into Adani's alleged “misdemeanors” and there should be a proper debate in Parliament on the issue.
He also took potshots at the Prime Minister for criticising the DMK’s alliance with Congress by pointing to the national party using Article 356 of the Constitution to dismiss the regional outfit’s government. “Can a person who is in an alliance with the AIADMK whose withdrawal of support led to the downfall of the BJP government (in 1999) speak on this,” he asked.
“I learnt how to speak for hours together without responding to questions raised (by MPs). Opposition parties levelled several accusations against the Prime Minister and the BJP government. Instead of responding to the accusations, he (the PM) chose to claim on his own that people are protecting him like a shield,” Stalin said.
“He (Modi) only resorted to wordplay by saying that the more sludge is thrown at the BJP, the lotus (BJP’s election symbol) will bloom even more. He didn’t say a word on the BBC documentary on Gujarat riots and the Adani issue,” the Chief Minister added.
To a question on Modi’s statement that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has managed to bring the Opposition parties together which voters failed to do, Stalin said this was a “confession statement” from no less than the Prime Minister on why and how agencies are being used.
Modi, Stalin said, has admitted that he was taking “revenge” on the Opposition parties which isn’t good for autonomous institutions and democracy at large. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also said the Prime Minister had no answer to questions raised by DMK MPs on Sethusamudram Shipping Canal, NEET, interference of Governors in administration, and other issues. "In short, he didn’t have anything to offer to Tamil Nadu," Stalin added.
To another question, Stalin said it was a “mystery” that a bill banning online gambling and regulating online games was pending with Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi for the past three months. “The worst part is the Union Budget proposes to tax the money that people earn through online gambling. What do we say about people who impose tax on people rather than banning online rummy?” Stalin asked.
He also punched holes in the accusation by AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami that the DMK government hasn’t fulfilled promises made during elections.
“Is it the same Palaniswami who said he got to know about the Thoothukudi police firing (that killed 13 people) from TV channels? He will only speak that way. We have fulfilled 85 percent of promises made during elections. We have also launched schemes that were never announced in the manifesto,” he said.