Rahul Gandhi hits campaign trail in TN, targets PM Modi

Launching his party's campaignfor the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Congress leader RahulGandhi on Saturday accused the AIADMK government of''compromising'' with the Centre and alleged Prime MinisterNarendra Modi used agencies like the CBI to get what hewanted.

Addressing people at multiple locations from hiscampaign van, Gandhi targeted the Prime Minister in his firstof the three-day campaign of western Tamil Nadu.

''I will work with the people of Tamil Nadu to help youget a government that you deserve,'' he said and refrained frommentioning ally DMK, the ruling AIADMK's archrival and a keycontender for power in Tamil Nadu.

In April or early May assembly elections are likely inTamil Nadu and AIADMK, a BJP partner, is in power since 2011.

''I want to help bring a government in Tamil Nadu thattruly respects poor people, farmers, labourers and small andmedium business owners,'' Gandhi said.

The Congress party's ties with the DMK appeared strainedafter the Dravidian party days ago said it had plans tocontest all the 30 seats in neighbouring Puducherry as part ofefforts to strengthen the party.

Also, DMK office-bearers could not be seen in hiscampaign here. Cadres of alliance parties taking partin the campaign of top leaders of the combine had so far beena practice in the state.

Hitting out at the AIADMK government, Gandhi said, ''Youhave a government today in Tamil Nadu that is compromised.

Narendra Modi uses the CBI and Enforcement Directorate to getwhat he wants.'' ''Narendra Modi feels that he can buy anybody. He thinkshe can frighten anybody. He does not understand that justbecause he is for sale does not mean Tamil Nadu is for sale,''Gandhi said.

The Prime Minister believed that as he 'controls' theTamil Nadu government, he could extend his dominance over thepeople of the state as well, the Congress MP said, adding thepublic, were, however, going to make the PM known that hecannot control them.

''Only the Tamil people will determine the future of TamilNadu. Nagpur (RSS) can never determine the future of TamilNadu.'' Modi does not understand the spirit of self-respectingTamil people who would respond only to love and affection, hesaid.

During his campaign, Gandhi had tea in a roadside shopand interacted with people there and also took part in a briefreception accorded to him by 'Baduga' people of the Nilgirisdistrict.

The Congress leader alleged the Prime Ministerpartnered with big businessmen and was 'selling' everythingthat belonged to the people.

''What does Modi do ? Modi partners with three or fourbig businessmen in this country. They provide him media and heprovides them money...Narendra Modi is one by one sellingeverything that belongs to the people of India and TamilNadu,'' he alleged.

Gandhi said what belonged to the farmers was now beingtaken away by the three new farm laws and alleged ryots''are going to be made servants'' of biggest industries.

That was why his party backed farmers and fought thegovernment, he said.

Citing his interaction with representatives of smalland medium industries, he said they explained the 'damage'caused by demonetisation and GST implementation.

He accused the Prime Minister of giving away to a fewindustrialists what rightfully belonged to the farmers andsmall industries.

Attacking the BJP, he said his party was involved in afight against a 'particular' ideology that believed that ''onlyone culture, one language and one idea should rule India.'' ''Modi ji belives that the entire India should worshiponly one person called Narendra Modi,'' Gandhi claimed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ''no respect'' for theculture, language and people of Tamil Nadu, he alleged.

Modi ''thinks that the Tamil people, Tamil language andTamil culture should be subservient to his ideas, hisculture,'' Gandhi claimed.

In Prime Minister's perception of India, people of TamilNadu should be 'second' class citizens, he alleged, addingwhereas his party valued pluralism providing a space for alllanguages and cultures including Tamil.

His visit to the state was to make people realise thattheir culture, language and history was under attack.

''My relationship with the people of Tamil Nadu is not apolitical relationship, it is a family relationship,'' he saidand asserted he had no 'selfish' interest in visiting thestate. He had a 'blood' relationship with the state and hevisited as a family member.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee released a campaignTamil video song which asked people to join hands with Rahul.

The ''Rahuloda onna kai korpom, vanga oru kai parpom''tagline roughly meant a determined fight by joining forceswith Gandhi.

The use of Tamil word 'kai' meant joining hands withRahul and also seen as a reference to the party's hand symbol.

The Congress leader, who is visiting Tamil Nadu for thesecond time within 10 days, was accorded a rousing receptionby Congress workers at the airport on his arrival from Delhi.

He is set to cover districts including Coimbatore, andErode, in western parts of the state, popularly known as the'Kongu' (Tamil name) region.

He visited Madurai on January 14 to witness bull tamingsport 'Jallikattu.' PTI VGN BNWELCOME BNWELCOME