Modi knows stress of being idle: DMK scion likens PM to comic character from Tamil film amid Sanatan Dharma row

DMK youth wing chief Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday likened Narendra Modi to a popular Tamil comedy character played by Vadivelu to accuse the Prime Minister of “sitting idle” for the past nine years after the BJP came to power in 2014.

“Modi has been idle for the past nine years. He was so idle that you can compare him with Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi, played by Vadivelu. The character portrays the difficulties of being idle. That’s how our PM has been for the past nine years, doing nothing at all and might give tough competition to the role,” Udhayanidhi said.

Earlier, Udhayanidhi issued a statement accusing the BJP of “twisting” his statements made at a conference calling for ‘Annihilation of Santana’ and considering it a “weapon” to protect themselves, and expressed surprise at people like Union Minister Amit Shah demanding action against him based on 'fake news'.

“In all fairness, I should be the one filing criminal cases and other court cases against them for spreading slander while holding respectable positions. But I am aware that this is their mode of survival. They don’t know how else to survive, so I decided not to do that,” he said.

Maintaining that the DMK respects all religions that teach “all lives are born equal,” he accused the BJP leaders of “solely dependent on such slanders” to face the Parliamentary elections.

“On the one hand, I can only feel sorry for them. For the last 9 years, Modi has been doing nothing. Occasionally he demonetised money, built a wall to hide huts, built a new Parliamentary building, erects a Sengol there, played around by changing the name of the country, standing at border, and making the white flag work,” he said.

Udhayanidhi also sought to know whether there has been any “progressive scheme” from the Union government in the last nine years like the one that improves the lives of girl students or the Chief Minister’s breakfast scheme or the Kalaignar women’s right scheme.

“Thiru Modi and co are using the Sanatana ploy to divert the attention from the facts including the killing of more than 250 people in the riots incited in Manipur and the 7.5 lakh crore corruption,” he said.

Udhay also asked his party cadres not to burn effigies of people who criticized his statement and instead work for people. “We have towork for the second state conference of the Youth wing, Parliamentary elections and many other such works. When there is so much work to be done, I request your cadres to not be involved in works that waste our time like filing cases against seers, or burning effigies,” he said.