EC behaving like ‘kumbakarnan’ while PM Modi is making speeches insulting Tamils: TNCC chief Selvaperunthagai

Tamil Nadu Congress president criticizes Modi and Shah for attacking Tamils, while BJP responds with sarcasm and book distribution.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been continuously attacking and belittling Tamils as ‘thieves’ apart from pursuing politics of hate and division in the name of religion, caste and based on linguistic ethnicity and they both have been consistently violating the Representation of the People Act. 

Mr. Selvaperunthagai charged that the Election Commission was sleeping like a ‘Kumbakarnan’ even as Mr. Modi makes controversial speeches in his rallies. Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah must seek unconditional apology to Tamils, failing which the Congress will lay siege to BJP headquarters in Tamil Nadu. 

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Selvaperunthagai said that while Mr. Modi opportunistically speaks about Thirukkural, Tamil literature and richness of Tamil culture in Tamil Nadu, he goes to Uttar Pradesh and states that Tamils are insulting people from Uttar Pradesh. 

Read also: Lok Sabha polls | T.N. Congress Committee moves Madras High Court against PM Modi’s campaign speeches

“He forgets that he is the Prime Minister of India and speaks without decency. Amit Shah asks if a Tamil can rule Odisha. But, he has to read history: Chola kings have ruled other countries. Even when Congress was in power or in opposition, our leaders have never spoken against languages, castes or religion...and speak different things in different states,” he said. 

He further said that BJP can never be in Tamil Nadu if their leaders continue to insult the Tamil people or their language, which is one of the oldest languages in the world. 

In a separate statement on new revelations about industrialist Gautam Adani, Mr. Selvaperunthagai said, “In 2014, Adani sold low-quality coal from Indonesia to the Tamil Nadu government at more than three times its cost, raking in more than ₹3,000 crore profit. Low quality coal with low calorie content amounting to 1.5 million tonnes has been brought in by ships to be sold to Tamil Nadu government on 22 occasions. BJP must respond to these allegations of scam in sale of coal,” he said.  Tamil Nadu BJP’s response BJP State president K. Annamalai, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said “It is learnt that the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president has announced to lay siege to Tamil Nadu BJP’s office. If the TNCC president could announce the date in advance, it would be helpful for us to prepare food for 10 people who come for the protest.”