Chennai: In probably the first direct attack on Narendra Modi ever since his party walked out of the National Democratic Alliance, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday termed the Prime Minister’s statement that Congress would distribute the nation’s wealth among Muslims as “against India’s sovereignty”.
The former chief minister’s statement condemning the Prime Minister is significant as he has so far refrained from criticising the BJP top brass, though he attacked the party during the election campaign.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan has spoken about Muslims in a controversial manner. India is a secular country, and it doesn’t augur well for the country’s sovereignty when politicians and those holding high positions like the prime minister make controversial statements for vote bank politics,” Palaniswami said.
“Such statements not just create panic among minorities but also stoke religious sentiments. Such statements are against India’s sovereignty, and they should be avoided at any cost,” the Leader of Opposition added.
Palaniswami, whose AIADMK walked out of the NDA and snapped ties with the BJP in September last year, has been battling criticism that he was “hesitant” to criticise the Prime Minister and other top leaders of the BJP despite not being in alliance with the party.
The latest statement by Palaniswami also comes amid a concerted effort by the AIADMK to reach out to the minorities, especially Muslims, who maintain a “safe distance” from the party ever since it aligned with the BJP in 2019.
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Published 23 April 2024, 08:55 IST