A “healthy democracy” is built on a respectful discourse and Nilgiris MP A. Raja’s remarks against the Chief Minister and his mother constituted an affront to women across Tamil Nadu, BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Wednesday.
Stand for equality
At a rally to endorse BJP candidate for Udhagamandalam M. Bojarajan, Mr. Singh said the DMK and its president M.K. Stalin were involved in “communal politics” and “appeasement”, while the BJP stood for equal treatment of all. “Both the AIADMK and the BJP stand for equality and no special treatment of any caste, creed or religion.”
Mr. Singh said the DMK’s “rising sun set after the death of M. Karunanidhi,” and Mr. Stalin was trying hard to stop the party’s slide but in vain.
The Defence Minister said the Central and State governments were working hard to develop Tamil Nadu. Defence corridors, meant to promote indigenous production of defence and aerospace items, were being established in only two States: Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
₹8,000 cr. in investments
The corridor in Tamil Nadu would bring in ₹8,000 crore in investments.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first head of state to visit the civil war-affected Jaffna in Sri Lanka. India had built 27,000 houses for homeless Sri Lankan Tamils.
“We have also secured the release of more than 1,600 Tamil Nadu fisherman and 300 boats from Sri Lankan custody,” he said.
Mr. Singh spoke of the Chinese incursion into the Galwan Valley and said India’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty would never be compromised.
The Congress was belittling the sacrifice of the soldiers, he said.
