In surprise praise for AIADMK icons MGR and Jayalalithaa, Modi appeals to former ally’s vote bank in Tamil Nadu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday heaped high praise on AIADMK icons M G Ramachandran (MGR) and J Jayalalithaa, in an ostensible attempt to appeal to the vote bank of the AIADMK, which had exited its alliance with the BJP in September last year.

The Prime Minister was speaking at a valedictory meeting of the BJP state president K Annamalai’s ‘En Mann En Makkal’ padayatra at Madappur near Palladam in Tirupur. Modi’s tribute to MGR as an “incomparable leader” and Jayalalithaa’s governance as the hallmark of dedicated service to the people of Tamil Nadu underscores a significant move in the BJP’s approach towards Tamil Nadu – a state where it has struggled to make inroads due to two powerful Dravidian parties, the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK.

Modi’s speech, rich in references to Tamil culture and history, also highlighted his personal initiatives to honour Tamil heritage, such as reciting Tamil poems at the United Nations and organising the Kashi Tamil Sangamam.

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“I think of MGR when I visit Tamil Nadu. When I visited Sri Lanka, I visited Kandy where he was born. I have come here and am standing on the soil where he served people. Because he served people, a better education system was established here… and MGR is considered the leader of the masses for the social reforms he brought in here. MGR did not come through a family lineage. But DMK rule in Tamil Nadu is actually insulting the great service of MGR. After MGR, Jayalalithaa was the only one who served the Tamil Nadu people. She also spent her entire life for the people. Let me also express my greetings before her memories while standing in this land of hers. I was very close to her for many years. She was one who lived for the people and she followed MGR’s values of working with the sole purpose of people’s interest. That is why every house in Tamil Nadu still remembers her,” Modi said.

By invoking the legacy of MGR and Jayalalithaa, both revered in Tamil Nadu for their contributions to the state’s development and welfare, Modi appeared to be reaching out to their vast and loyal base.

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His comments come against the backdrop of the AIADMK’s recent distancing from the BJP. It was also ironic as the BJP’s state president Annamalai said in his latest interview that Jayalalithaa was corrupt and that he stood by remarks made against her in the past.

Castigating the DMK and the Congress, Modi accused them of inefficiency and corruption, and contrasted their tenure with the developmental initiatives undertaken by the BJP-led central government. The entire INDIA bloc, he said, was formed to loot states like Tamil Nadu.

Modi said that in Delhi, everyone knows the INDIA bloc has failed. “They are still trying to make it work in Tamil Nadu, hoping that they could loot here. We are going to put an end to their plans here. Tamil people are waiting to put an end to their corrupt politics,” Modi said.

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