PM Narendra Modi wants to control Tamil Nadu just as US President Donald Trump controls him, says Rahul Gandhi

KANYAKUMARI: The upcoming election is a fundamental ideological battle between the Congress-DMK alliance and BJP-RSS, said Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi in Kanyakumari on Monday. Speaking at a public meeting in support of Congress and DMK candidates, he said India is a ‘union of states' where every language, culture and tradition must be treated with equal respect. However, BJP was trying to impose a singular identity from Delhi, he said.

"We believe every state of India should have its own voice and representation, and the people of each state should run the state, but BJP believes one tradition, one language and one history should overcome all other traditions, languages and histories," he said. "We want Tamil Nadu to be run by the people of Tamil Nadu, and they should decide its future," he added. "The PM wants to control Tamil Nadu through AIADMK the same way as US President Donald Trump controls Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi," he said.

Rahul said BJP has ‘captured' AIADMK, which plays a historical role in Tamil Nadu's progress. It was now a hollow shell, which has become an instrument for BJP to enter Tamil Nadu. "The leadership of AIADMK surrendered to BJP because of corruption, and RSS is planning and trying to rule Tamil Nadu by proxy," he said.

He said that DMK, Congress and its alliance are defending Tamil language, culture and its history from RSS, which ‘hates the Dravidian idea.' "They know that brave Tamils can challenge and resist them, and they also know that Tamil people never knowingly surrender to them," he added.

Rahul said PM Modi told the country that he wants to pass a women's bill. But the real plan was to change the electoral structure of India. "What they wanted to do was to reduce the number of seats in southern northeastern and smaller states and fundamentally change the balance of power in India," he said. It was an action against the union of states, and hence they defeated it in Parliament.

He said that for the first time in modern history, minorities feel uncomfortable and feel scared living in India. "The fight is really between BJP and Congress ideologies at the national level, and the BJP knows that in the end Congress ideology is going to defeat them," he said.

He concluded by saying that he will defend Tamil language, culture, history and tradition till he is alive. Earlier, he offered condolences to those who lost their lives in the Virudhunagar firecracker unit explosion. In the evening, Rahul addressed public meetings in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts in support of DMK and Congress candidates.
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