Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, December 23, accused the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government and its allies of defaming the judiciary to appease their vote bank, and termed the party the “biggest enemy of Tamil culture.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks came against the backdrop of the controversy surrounding the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, Karthigai deepam, at the Thiruparankundram hilltop, at a location claimed by Hindu right-wing groups as Deepathoon.
Addressing the first National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rally at Madhuranthagam in Chengalpattu district, PM Modi, without naming Thiruparankundram directly, said that during the recent controversy over lighting the lamp for Hindu god Murugan, it was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers who stood up to protect the rights of Hindu devotees, while the DMK and its allies focused on appeasing their vote bank.
“They even defamed the courts. The DMK is the biggest enemy of Tamil samskriti (culture),” he said.
Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister MK Stalin’s government, Modi claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu had decided to remove the DMK from power and that a “double-engine government” led by the BJP and the NDA was the need of the hour in the state.
He labelled the DMK government as one of “Crime, Mafia and Corruption (CMC)” and said the countdown for its fall had begun.
Addressing his first rally in the state to formally launch the NDA’s poll campaign, Modi said Tamil Nadu had given the DMK a clear mandate twice, but the party had failed to honour the people’s trust.
“They made many promises but delivered on none. This is a CMC government — a government of corruption, mafia and crime. The people of Tamil Nadu are ready to uproot the DMK. The BJP–NDA double-engine government will come,” he said.
He also accused the DMK of being anti-women, anti-culture, corrupt, and dynastic.
Highlighting the Union government’s contributions to the state, the Prime Minister said the BJP-led Union government had devolved Rs 3 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu, compared to significantly lower allocations during the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, of which the DMK was a part.
“In comparison to the UPA, we have given three times more funds to Tamil Nadu. Earlier, scams happened in the name of SC, ST and OBC welfare,” he alleged.
He added that the railways budget allocation for Tamil Nadu was seven times higher than during the UPA years, with around 80 railway stations being renovated and services such as Vande Bharat trains introduced.
Modi further said that six crore Mudra loans had been provided to small and micro enterprises in the state. He promised to rid Tamil Nadu of drugs. strengthen medical infrastructure, and provide piped drinking water to every household if the NDA came to power.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s remarks, DMK leader and Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi raised five questions directed at the Union government, including the delay in releasing education funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme and the rejection of metro rail proposals for Madurai and Coimbatore.
She also questioned the deletion of nearly one in four voters in Chengalpattu during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and alleged discrimination in fund allocation for Tamil, despite it being spoken by a large population, compared to Sanskrit.
She added that the people of Tamil Nadu were seeking answers, not speeches, and listed her demands from the Union government.
In the run-up to the Prime Minister’s visit, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is in charge of Tamil Nadu for the elections, conducted a series of meetings with alliance partners. Following these discussions, former National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners, including TTV Dinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and the Anbumani faction of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), announced their return to the alliance.
Ahead of the rally, Modi posted on social media that Tamil Nadu was with the NDA and ready to bid farewell to what he called the “corrupt DMK government.” Chief Minister MK Stalin responded stating that Tamil Nadu was instead counting the NDA’s betrayals.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi also flagged off the NDA’s campaign in poll-bound Kerala with a roadshow in Thiruvananthapuram.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, elaborate security arrangements were put in place in Madhuranthakam, with around 3,500 police personnel deployed in the area. Heavy security deployment was carried out as part of the preparations for the event.
PM Modi’s last visit to Tamil Nadu was in November 2025, when he addressed the South India Natural Farming Summit hosted by farmers’ associations.