Modi first PM to visit war-torn Jaffna in Sri Lanka, got houses rebuilt: Nadda

On the eve of the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, BJP President J P Nadda on Saturday (April 3)  turned the spotlight on all that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had done for Tamils and for the progress of the state, while addressing a public rally in Modakurichi.

Nadda started off with declaring that Modiji was the “first PM” to visit the severely affected areas of Tamil-dominated Jaffna in neighbouring Sri Lanka, in the aftermath of a horrific civil war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan forces. The civil war had gone on for several years leading to the death of thousands of people that had shocked the world.

“He visited bombarded houses, got them reconstructed,” Nadda said, reported Hindustan Times. PM Modi had also sent Minister of External Affairs of India S Jaishankar to Sri Lanka to ensure the safety of the Tamil minorities, he added.

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What’s more, the festering issue of Indian fishermen who were being shot down if they strayed into Sri Lankan waters, was stopped after Prime Minister Modi became the PM, said Nadda.

PM Modi also solved the “decades-old demand” of the Devendrakula community and brought seven castes under one nomenclature of Devendrakula Vellalars. A Bill to that effect was passed in the Lok Sabha on March 19, 2021.

According to Nadda, PM Modi was responsible for bringing Tamil Nadu into the “mainstream”. In the 13th Finance Commission, Tamil Nadu had received just ₹94,000 crore but under the 14th Finance Commission, PM Modi gave Tamil Nadu ₹5.42 lakh crore, which was 4.5 times more.

Nadda also reeled off the sectors in the state which had received financial assistance from the Central government. For example the Centre had given ₹3,770 crore for metro rail, ₹20,000 crore for railways, while ₹2 lakh crore had been given for development in one year.

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Moreover, 11 medical colleges, the highest-ever number in India, have been given to TN, he said, adding that the maximum beneficiaries of the MUDRA yojana stem from the state.  For the development of silk, ₹1,600 crore has been allocated, and Thanjavur paintings, wood carvings, handloom weaving, stone carving, kalamkari were being encouraged under ‘Vocal for Local’, he added.

Further, Nadda pointed out that both Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was the first female Defence Minister of India, and Minister of External Affairs of India S Jaishankar belonged to Tamil Nadu.

He urged people to elect AIADMK-BJP candidates if they wanted to stop land grabbing, goonda raj and power cuts and if religious and cultural sentiments need to be maintained in the state. Tamil Nadu goes to polls on April 6, while the counting of votes will take place on May 2.