Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a seyal veerargal kootam in Udhagamandalam on Saturday, December 2, 2023, Tamil Nadu Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare, Udhayanidhi Stalin said that it was indeed true that only one family was doing well in India, and that was the Adanis.
Mr. Udhayanidhi said that he was responding to statements made by the Prime Minister at an election rally in Madhya Pradesh recently, when Mr. Modi allegedly said that only one family was living well in Tamil Nadu, and that was the family of Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin. The PM was making the statements to underscore allegations of nepotism within the DMK.
“I only spoke about equality in my speech,” said Mr. Udhayanidhi, referring to his speech on Sanatana dharma that sparked a controversy, “but Mr. Modi made it a talking point across the country, and also said that only one family was living well in Tamil Nadu,” he said. “There are now Adani railways, Adani airports, roads and even stadiums. So only one family in India is living well and that is the Adanis,” said Mr. Udhayanidhi.
Mr Udhayanidhi, also said it was true that only one family was living well in the State, “as the whole of Tamil Nadu and its entire population is Kalaignar’s family,” highlighting the free bus pass scheme, the Pudhumai penn (education assistance) scheme, the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme and the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (basic income for women scheme) as policies that have benefited crores of people across the State.
The Minister said that while the T.N. government was ushering in schemes that were benefiting people, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report had highlighted how the Union Government had indulged in corruption amounting to ₹7.5 lakh crores. “The CAG report shows that there have been roads built at a cost of ₹250 crores per kilometer, and that the Ayushman Bharat Scheme was providing insurance cover to lakhs of already dead people,” alleged Mr. Udhayanidhi.
He said that while 2021 offered Tamil Nadu an opportunity to vote out the “slaves” of the Central government [a reference to the AIADMK], 2024 was an important year in ensuring that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) returns to power.
“In 2014, Narendra Modi said that he would change India. I will give him credit for that, as he has managed to change the name of India to Bharat,” he quipped.
Also present on the occasion were functionaries from the DMK youth wing and local party cadre. Nilgiris Lok Sabha MP, A. Raja and State Tourism Minister, K. Ramachandran also participated.
