'Your vote is to elect a humane Prime Minister': Tamil Nadu CM Stalin

While addressing the voters in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli, CM Stalin said that the people's vote will decide if someone who respects the state and not hate the Tamilians becomes the PM.

The DMK leader was campaigning for the party's candidates in Tirunelveli.

"Your vote is to elect a humane Prime Minister. If someone who respects Tamil Nadu and does not hate Tamils should become the Prime Minister, then it is in your hands. Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to lose the election for that. If Modi becomes Prime Minister again, they will ruin India by sowing seeds of hatred," Stalin said.

"One central minister calls Tamils beggars, and another central minister calls Tamils terrorists. Why so much anger towards Tamils? They think that they can create hatred and division among the people and do politics. But it never happens," he said.

The Chief Minister hit out at PM Modi for blaming Congress and DMK over the Sri Lankan Navy's action against Tamil Nadu fishermen.

"There is no other Prime Minister in the history of India who has hated the people of Tamil Nadu as much as Prime Minister Modi. Prime Minister Modi has said that the Congress and DMK are responsible for the attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. I want to ask one thing. Who has ruled for decades? The Modi government watched silently when more than three thousand fishermen were arrested," he said.

He further criticised the Prime Minister for not allotting relief funds for the state post-floods.

"A few days ago, Modi visited Tirunelveli and Kumari districts. But where were you when the flood came? Not a single rupee was given as a relief fund. It's okay, even if you don't give relief funds, have you consoled the people?" he said.

The Chief Minister further informed the state's decision to approach the Supreme Court against the central government.

"We asked for compensation of Rs 37,000 crores to restore the flood-affected places, but it was not given. We are going to file a case in the Supreme Court against the central government, which is refusing to give us what we are asking for. I am announcing this publicly through this meeting," CM Stalin said.

"We are seeing how the governor's nose is cut off and the governor is sitting in that position without shame, dignity,. We are going to approach the court.

Voting for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will be held in the first phase of the general elections on April 19.

In the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, comprising the Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB, registered a landslide victory, winning 38 of the 39 seats in the state.

In 2019, DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats with a 33.2 per cent vote share, Congress bagged 8 seats with a 12.9 per cent vote and CPI won two seats in Tamil Nadu.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4. (ANI)