New Delhi, Feb 7 (UNI) Days after Rahul Gandhi accused government of discriminating against Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday responded calling it an attempt to flare up “Tamil sentiments”.
Slamming the Congress for adopting the British ‘divide and rule policy’, and quoted freedom fighter and Tamil poet Subramania Bharti which talked about India as one country. “There is an attempt to flare up the Tamil sentiments. Congress is carrying on the British policy of divide and rule,” Modi said.
He said when India’s first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat died in a chopper crash in Tamil Nadu, thousands stood on the roads to pay tributes to the late CDS. “Our Tamil brothers and sisters stood on the road sides for hours. When the dead body was taken, they were crying and saying ‘Veer Vanakkam”,” Modi said.
As the PM spoke of Tamil Nadu, TMC leader Saugata Roy took a jibe and said he should also talk about West Bengal. The Prime Minister also quoted from the Vishnu Puran to establish that India is a nation, and said the Shloka says the land with Himalaya in north, and Indian Ocean to the south is Bharat and its progeny are called ‘Bharti’. Rahul Gandhi while participating the debate on motion of thanks to the President’s Address had said India is a union of states, and had slammed the center for not respecting states. Pointing to MPs from DMK sitting next to him, Rahul Gandhi had said BJP would “never rule Tamil Nadu”.
