Sonia alleges tacit AIADMK-Modi deal

Addressing a well-attended election meeting along with DMK president M. Karunanidhi at Island Grounds, she charged that when the floods affected Chennai and people were dying, it was not the AIADMK or Modi which came to the help of the people. 

Though the union finance minister promised to settle insurance claims of the flood affected within four weeks, nothing has been done even after four months, Gandhi charged. This had resulted in many industry and factory owners continuing to suffer, she added. 

Stating that TN farmers and people were affected by the acute drought, she said there was no water for irrigation or drinking. 

Farmers were pushed to suicide, she added. Similarly, the handloom industry was in dire straits with the lakhs of people involved in the industry finding it difficult to feed their children. 

When DMK was in power, TN was in the news for bringing in new industries and growth. But now the state was in the news for industries closing down and moving to other states, Gandhi lamented. 

Referring to TN fishermen, she charged that fishermen were being kidnapped and their boats seized. But Modi instead of providing security for fishermen was allowing foreign fishermen to fish in Indian waters. This had resulted in lakhs of fishermen suffering and their livelihood being affected, she charged.

Stating that the alliance had promised to implement prohibition, she said it would start a social revolution and bring relief to lakhs of people in Tamil Nadu, especially women. 

She said that it was due to the alliance’s promise that Jayalalithaa was forced to clarify her party’s stand on prohibition. “We do not need to make false promises. We take our promises seriously and strive to implement them,” she concluded.