Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly "fostering enmity" between Hindus and Muslims. CM Stalin urged the Prime Minister to "not lose his dignity" in making statements which promote enmity and instead focus on the welfare of the nation.
"In the great India that prides itself on multiculturalism and unity in diversity, I urge the Prime Minister and BJP members to stop such petty political practices as fostering enmity between Hindus and Muslims, and behaving in a way that creates enmity between Tamils and the people of Bihar, and to focus on the welfare of the nation," CM Stalin said on X in Tamil.
The Chief Ministers remarks come a day after PM Modi accused political leaders of various states, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of "abusing hardworking people of Bihar" whenever Biharis migrate to different states. Apart from DMK, the PM also slammed the Congress party in Karnataka, Telangana, and Punjab of discriminating against Biharis.
"As a Tamil person, I am pained to request Mr Narendra Modi that he often forgets that he is in the esteemed position of Prime Minister for all in this country, and that he should not lose the dignity befitting his responsibility through such statements," CM Stalin's post read.
Alleging that discord is being sown between communities for electoral gain, Stalin added, "Wherever they go, saying Odisha - Bihar, as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on behalf of its people, I strongly condemn the BJP members for expressing their hatred towards Tamils for the sake of election politics."
DMK MP Kanimozhi also hit out at PM and BJP, accusing the party of engaging in "hate politics" whenever elections happen in northern states (Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh etc). "It is the BJP's routine to portray Tamil Nadu and Tamils as enemies and engage in hate politics whenever elections come around in the northern states. They did exactly the same thing during the last Odisha elections," Kanimozhi wrote on X in Tamil.
Criticising the Centre's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said that while the Central government left the migrants to fend for themselves, it was the state government which helped the people.
"However, the migrant workers know who abandoned them to fend for themselves and suffer during the COVID pandemic, and how Tamil Nadu helped them back then. When the Prime Minister visits Tamil Nadu for the next year's election campaign, let him convey the same sentiment. The migrant workers from other states, standing alongside Tamils, will also explain to him how Tamil Nadu has supported them," she said.
While taking a swipe at Governor RN Ravi, who hails from Patna, she added, "In Tamil Nadu, only one person from Bihar has been suffering, unable to carry out his politics. He too resides in Raj Bhavan."
Earlier on October 30, while addressing an election rally in Bihar's Chapra, PM Modi said, "A sitting Chief Minister of Punjab from the Congress party, during a rally, said that he would not allow people from Bihar to enter Punjab.
At that time, a daughter from the Congress family, who is now an MP, was present on the stage and clapping at the statement made by the sitting Chief Minister of Punjab. Congress leaders in Karnataka and Telangana abuse people from Bihar, and their ally, DMK, also abuses Biharis in Tamil Nadu. During these elections, the leaders who abused Biharis in their states have been called to campaign for the INDI alliance."
Assembly elections in Bihar are set to happen in two phases, with the 1st phase happening on November 6, Second phase on November 11 and counting of votes set to happen on November 14.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigns for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates across the state with just a few days left for the elections, the mahagathbandhan, comprising of RJD, Congress and other left parties have also gone full steam ahead with the campaigning.