Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated C Joseph Vijay after the actor-politician took oath as Tamil Nadu’s chief minister on Sunday. Modi also assured the new TVK government that the Central government will continue to work with the state to improve people’s lives, but didn’t miss the opportunity to lash out at Congress for ditching the DMK.
Modi labelled the Congress “backstabber” and “parasitic” after the grand old party bailed out the TVK when the latter fell 10 seats short of attaining majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Thanks to Congress’ 5 legislators, and 7 more from CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML, Vijay’s party was able to reach the magic figure of 118 and convince Governor Rajendra Arlekar after four days of deadlock.
“Just look at the situation in Tamil Nadu
right now. For 25-30 years, the Congress shared a close relationship with the DMK. Time and again, the alliance with the DMK pulled the Congress out of crises,” PM Modi said in his address to BJP workers.
“Indeed, the government it (Congress) led for 10 years before 2014 survived largely because of the DMK. Yet, the very DMK that consistently worked for the betterment of the Congress was betrayed the moment the political winds shifted,” Modi said.
“Driven by its lust for power, the power-hungry Congress stabbed the DMK in the back at the very first opportunity. Now, Congress needs yet another party, one on whose back it can ride, to remain politically relevant,” Modi continued.
The DMK had earlier criticised the Congress after Rahul Gandhi agreed to support TVK in its bid to form the government.
“The Congress has done to us in Tamil Nadu what the BJP does in many states,” a DMK resolution in the presence of former chief minister MK Stalin said on Thursday.
“The Congress has committed a great betrayal by stabbing our party leader in the back, not even coming in person to thank him for the victory. But he (Stalin) showed tolerance and acted with generosity and responsibility,” the DMK said.