Tamil Nadu Congress has expressed its opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meditation event at the Swami Vivekananda Mandapam in Kanniyakumari, terming it an act of “political fraud” to influence voters in the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Modi will be performing meditation at the Swami Vivekananda Mandapam on May 30 and extend his stay there till June 1.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 29, K Selvaperunthugai, the head of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) said that Modi’s politics and his actions are directly in contrast to that of Swami Vivekananda. The statement read, “When Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and thousands of Muslims were killed, he was ignorant like Emperor Nero when Rome was burning. It is not possible that Narendra Modi, who joined the RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] at a young age and learned the divisive ideology of Golwalkar, would have read the works of Swami Vivekananda. Even if he has read them, he is not in the mindset to accept his teachings.”
Accusing Narendra Modi of being hateful, divisive, and spreading falsehoods, the statement said, “Those who agree with Swami Vivekananda’s teachings will never agree with Narendra Modi’s meditation decision. Modi’s meditation drama appears to mock Swami Vivekananda’s teachings. This only has a political motive not a spiritual one. Modi’s meditation is not an embarrassment for just Tamil Nadu but the whole of India.”
Mentioning how the tourist site would be closed to visitors due to the Prime Minister’s meditation, the statement added, “This closure infringes on people’s fundamental right. I strongly condemn this on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.”