Stalin (file photo), PM Modi speaking in Tamil Nadu earlier today (PTI)
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a “double engine” government, saying it would not work in the state.Stalin was responding to Modi’s remarks at an NDA rally in Maduranthakam earlier today, where the Prime Minister launched the alliance’s campaign for the 2026 Assembly elections and said, “We have to free Tamil Nadu from the clutches of the DMK.” PM also argued for a “double engine” government that would work “shoulder to shoulder” with the Center for Tamil Nadu’s growth.
In a post on X, Stalin said, “The double engine that the PM talks about will not run in Tamil Nadu.” He added that the state had seen “historical growth by overcoming all the obstacles created by the BJP government at the Centre.”“Think about it for a moment… more than the double engine states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar that you talk about, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and West Bengal, where the double engine has not entered, are registering growth,” Stalin said.The Tamil Nadu CM accused the BJP of betraying Tamil Nadu and said people would not forget it. “Even if you hide the betrayals committed by the BJP against Tamils and Tamil Nadu, the people of the state will never forget them. Tamil Nadu will not bow to Delhi’s arrogance,” he said.
‘Our leaders stood by devotees’: PM
Addressing a large gathering of NDA workers and supporters, PM accused the ruling DMK of corruption and misgovernance. He coined the term “CMC” to describe the party, saying it stood for “Corruption, Mafia, Crime”.“The DMK is CMC — a Corruption, Mafia, Crime promoting government. The people of Tamil Nadu have made up their mind to uproot DMK, CMC,” he said.The prime minister claimed the DMK government’s “countdown has started” and said Tamil Nadu wanted to be free of what he called “misgovernance” and was looking towards the BJP-led NDA for “good governance”.He also accused the DMK of indulging in vote-bank politics, including over the Thirupparankundram Lord Murugan Temple Karthigai lamp lighting issue. “Our leaders stood by devotees’ rights, but the DMK left no stone unturned for vote bank politics,” he said.Alleging that the DMK functioned only for one family, Modi said, “The DMK government has nothing to do with democracy and accountability.”He also raised concerns about crime and drugs in the state, saying youth were falling prey to narcotics and women were suffering due to crime. Recalling former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, Modi said, “Selvi J Jayalalithaa did great work in controlling crime in Tamil Nadu, but today women are suffering.”
