MADURAI: The people of Tamil Nadu do not need a certificate from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their patriotism, Chief minister M K Stalin said on Wednesday.
Campaigning virtually for the civic polls in Tuticorin district, Stalin referred to Modi's speech in Parliament and said "We the people of Tamil Nadu are not less than anyone in recognising the people who battled for the country." Stalin accused Modi of portraying every criticism of the BJP as criticism of the nation. "Who refused to allow Tamil Nadu's float in the Republic Day parade? The Prime Minister who recites Bharathiar poems, refused to allow his statue to be taken out in the parade."
Attacking Modi and the BJP, Stalin said "They think just the land is the nation. That is wrong; it is the people who are the nation. They do not understand the people and the land, and are working against it. India is made up of languages, culture and tradition." Stalin also said that the BJP had still not learnt its lesson in Tamil Nadu, referring to the party's walkout over the anti-NEET bill. Such anti-democratic, anti-people, anti-Tamil Nadu forces should be defeated not only in this election but in all elections, he said. The chief minister also attacked governor R N Ravi for rejecting the anti-NEET Bill passed by the Assembly on September 13, 2021. "If a Governor rejects the resolution passed by the representatives of crores of people, do we not have the right to question this? We did not come to this position to be mere puppets, we were not brought up like that by Kalaignar or Anna. This is Periyar's soil," he said.
