Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched yet another blistering attack on the DMK and Congress, charging that their leaders "keep insulting women," while pointing out that the NDA schemes are aimed at empowering women. Addressing an election rally in Madurai seeking votes for NDA candidates, including those from ally AIADMK for the April 6 Assembly polls, he said that the late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran's vision for inclusive development and prosperous society "inspires us."
Lashing out at the DMK and Congress, Prime Minister Modi said they had no agenda to talk about and alleged that the two parties, facing the upcoming polls as allies, will not guarantee either safety or dignity for the people while the law and order situation will "suffer" under them.
He said that the DMK tried to make the peace-loving Madurai a "mafia den" due to family issues earlier, apparently referring to the then squabble in the party's first family involving brothers MK Stalin and MK Alagiri.
PM Modi said Madurai teaches about empowering 'nari shakti' (women power) and referred to the local deity Meenakshi Amman, and popular names associated with the region like Kannagi, Rani Mangammal and Velu Nachiyar. He also said that many schemes of the NDA including the Ujjwala scheme were aimed at empowering women.
"DMK and Congress have not understood this ethos. No wonder their leaders keep insulting women again and again," he said, without naming anyone.
DMK leader A Raja had earlier courted controversy for making alleged disparaging remarks against Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami's mother during an election rally, drawing criticism. Taking note of a complaint from the ruling AIADMK, the Election Commission had on Thursday barred Raja from campaigning for 48 hours and also removed him from his party's list of star campaigners for the April 6 Assembly polls.
Tamil Nadu goes to polls in a single phase on April 6 and the results will be announced on May 2.