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Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) General Secretary Vaiko alleged that the upcoming Union Budget will be biased against Tamil Nadu, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in language politics and attempting to mislead the people of the state.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Vaiko said that the Centre would continue its alleged biased approach towards Tamil Nadu while attempting to appease the state rhetorically. "The Union government would once again discriminate against Tamil Nadu in the upcoming Union Budget. The BJP would try to deceive the people by praising Tamil Nadu, Bharathiar, and Sangam literature in Hindi. Prime Minister Modi's daydream of fooling Tamil Nadu will never succeed," he said. Accusing the BJP-led Central government of aggressively attempting to impose Hindi and Sanskrit in the country, Vaiko said that Tamil Nadu oppose i.t even by "sacrificing lives," adding that further attempts in this direction will have "serious consequences." "The Central government is acting in an extreme and aggressive manner by attempting to impose Hindi and Sanskrit on the country. Tamil Nadu is a state that has stood firm against Hindi imposition, even sacrificing lives, and the BJP would face serious consequences if it continues such attempts with arrogance and disregard," he stated. Vaiko also expressed confidence in the DMK-led alliance's prospects in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, scheduled to be held later this year, though the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not yet announced the official poll schedule. MDMK General Secretary Vaiko says, "The DMK-led alliance would win more than 200 seats. Discussions with the DMK leadership will be held on the number of seats to be contested by the MDMK, the constituencies, and the party symbol, after which a final decision will be made" Reacting to the meeting between Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and DMK MP Kanimozhi, Vaiko said there was nothing unusual about it, adding that the differences between the two parties "fade away quickly." "The differences between the DMK and Congress may appear at times, but they fade away quickly like marks left after water is poured. There is nothing unusual or controversial about Kanimozhi meeting with Rahul Gandhi to discuss election-related matters," he said. Vaiko also took a swipe at All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, calling him "unfit" to comment on the meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Kanimozhi. "Despite being repeatedly insulted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders, EPS remained silent and accepted it all. Such a person is unfit to speak about the Kanimozhi-Rahul Gandhi meeting," he alleged. Rahul Gandhi and Kanimozhi met in the national capital on Thursday to discuss the roadmap for their alliance ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections. The meeting held on Wednesday, initiated by the DMK as part of outreach to its ally, the Congress, did not reach a conclusion. The two leaders met for almost an hour, but no numbers were discussed. Rahul Gandhi urged Kanimozhi to discuss the matters with the team of leaders set up by the Congress president to formalise things. The meeting remained pleasant, according to a source in the Congress party. The two-decade-old alliance partners in the State are uncomfortable this time in the Assembly polls, as the state leadership of the Congress party is demanding a share of power in the government, which the DMK has not offered to the Congress. The developments come as Tamil Nadu is scheduled to hold elections in the first half of this year, although the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not yet announced the official election schedule. (ANI)
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