Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused INDI alliance partners of deliberately insulting Hindu dharma and said their statements against Hindu religion are well thought out, while they do not utter a word against other religions, and abuse the Hindu dharma spontaneously.

Mr Modi was addressing a large public meeting in Salem, Tamil Nadu. He greeted 11 ‘Shakti Ammas’ who came to the dais to welcome him at the public rally.

The Prime Minister slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his ‘Shakti’ remark and said that the election campaign has just started, and the INDI Alliance has revealed its plans in its first rally itself.

“During their first rally in Mumbai, they made statements about destroying ‘Shakti’, about fighting against ‘Shakti’. Their statement has been a sheer insult to the Hindu religion, Hindu faith,” he added. They opposed installation of the holy Sengol in Parliament, he said.

“Mariamman yahan ki Shakti hai. In Tamil Nadu Kanchi Kamakshi is ‘Shakti’, Madurai Meenakshi is ‘Shakti’. Congress, DMK and the INDI alliance say they will destroy this (Shakti). Hamare shastra sakshi hai ki vinash unka hota hai jo Shakti ko khatam karne ka vichar rakhte hai’ In Hindu Dharma, ‘Shakti’ means “Matra Shakti, Naari Shakti,” the Prime Minister said.

Mr Modi said that everyone witnessed the kind of behaviour the INDI alliance did with women. “When former state Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was alive, you all know how DMK leaders behaved with her. This is the DMK’s real face,” he said.

The Prime Minister said “The kind of support that the people of the country are giving to Modi and the NDA has deprived the DMK government of its sleep.”

He said “Tamil Nadu has decided that on April 19, every vote will go to BJP, to NDA. Tamil Nadu has decided that ‘Abki Baar, 400 Paar’. For a developed India, we need ‘400 Paar’. For a developed Tamil Nadu, we need ‘400 Paar’. For a self-reliant India, we need ‘400 Paar’,” he said.

“Today, our entire country is watching the huge public support and love that Tamil Nadu is showering upon the BJP,” he said. Mr Modi said the NDA must get more than 400 Lok Sabha seats in the coming elections because the country needs modern infrastructure; is to become the third largest economy in the world for an “atmanirbhar Bharat.”

The Prime Minster said the DMK and the Congress are two sides of the same coin. The DMK and the Congress mean — Big corruption and one family rule. When the country got rid of the Congress, the country reached 5G technology. But in Tamil Nadu DMK is running its own 5G — one family’s fifth generation continues to have control over Tamil Nadu,” he added.

The Centre is allocating huge funds for development in Tamil Nadu, but the money is being looted in the State by its government, he said. The Prime Minister said he could not count the scams of the State, it would take a lot time, he said. Dynastic parties did not allow leaders of the State like K Kamaraj and G K Moopanar to rise in their political career. Mr Moopanar could have risen to become the Prime Minister of the country, he said.

The Prime Minister was emotional as he remembered former State BJP president late K N Lakshmanan and his contribution towards the expansion of BJP in the state.

Mr Modi remembered BJP state general secretary ‘auditor’ V Ramesh, who was allegedly hacked to death in Tamil Nadu’s Salem in 2013. He said Ramesh worked day and night for the party.

“Today I am in Salem, I remember Auditor Ramesh. Aaj Salem ka mera vo Ramesh nahi hai. Ramesh worked day and night for the party. He was a dedicated leader of our party. He was a great orator and a very hardworking man. I pay homage to him,” the PM said.

Referring to development programmes, he said one of the Defence Corridors being established in the country is in Tamil Nadu.

“The BJP government is establishing seven Mega Textile Parks across the country. Notably, one among those exists in Tamil Nadu. Our government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the development and prosperity of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

From free medical treatment to providing tap water connections in homes, from free ration facilities to benefiting women of Tamil Nadu through MUDRA Yojana, the BJP government in the Centre ensured the best for the State. He said the people are enthusiastic about the BJP, and this has been troubling the INDI Alliance.