Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin launched a tirade against Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday accusing him of starting a “sin yatra” (pava yatirai in Tamil) from the pilgrim town of Rameswaram and claimed that the BJP is also perpetuating family rule.

The Home Minister talks as if family rule is existing only in Tamil Nadu, forgetting the fact that it exists in the BJP too, the Chief Minister said and also questioned the saffron party’s sudden affection and pity for the Tamil Nadu fishermen.

“Did the Home Minister visit the state on Friday to inaugurate the AIIMS project or any scheme announced by the Centre? He has come to launch a pava yatirai (sin yatra) not padayatra from Rameswaram, for what happened in Gujarat in 2002 and the violence in Manipur,” Stalin, who is the president of the DMK said addressing a meeting of the party members here.

Since the last two months, the Centre was unable to restore peace in the violence-hit northeastern state, the Chief Minister claimed and added “he (Shah) has come to Tamil Nadu to disturb the peace prevailing here.”

Shah, who flagged off the “En Mann, En Makkal” (My Land, My People) padayatra by BJP state president K Annamalai on Friday, had slammed the Congress and its allies, including the DMK, saying nothing would happen by changing the name of their alliance to INDIA.

He accused the DMK of perpetuating family rule and said the massacre of Tamils occurred in Sri Lanka, and Tamil fishermen suffered during the UPA regime. He even charged the Congress allies with trying to empower their families and not keen on state welfare.

Stalin said, “I became Chief Minister to serve the people and I feel proud of it. I never dreamed that I would occupy the chair once adorned by late Chief Ministers: C N Annadurai and M Karunanidhi. I always wanted to strive for people’s well-being and worked in this spirit. So, I rose to this position.” His DMK government was dispensing the Dravidian model of governance, he said.

“They claim there’s family rule here. But ours is a governance that is sustaining crores of families. We are continuing the legacy of Karunanidhi,” he said.

Stalin listed out numerous welfare initiatives including the COVID-19 cash assistance of Rs 4,000 to ration rice cardholders, free bus pass to women, waiving off cooperative jewel loans, providing monthly aid of Rs 1,000 to women heads of families, and other initiatives.

“Some people are rattled at our alliance the INDIA. Wherever Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes he talks about this alliance. This shows the success of the Patna and Bengaluru meetings. The PM is unable to digest this,” he said.

The Chief Minister sought to know why the BJP developed a sudden affection and pity for the Tamil Nadu fishermen who have been suffering for a long time and also why former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was invited for the swearing-in of Modi as Prime Minister in 2014.

On the Home Minister’s charge as to why jailed V Senthil Balaji is continuing as a Minister, Stalin shot back saying many Central Ministers continued to hold their portfolios despite facing charges. “Will Shah ask the Prime Minister about this?” Stalin asked.

He accused the BJP of using the enforcement directorate as a “washing machine” against its political adversaries and said the time to end the saffron rule in the country has come.

At the padayatra flag-off event, Shah said Stalin should be ashamed of retaining Senthil Balaji in the cabinet.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)