Coimbatore: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday accused DMK of dividing the nation, and emphasized that India is “one nation” and that both state and central govts must work together, instead of competing with one another. “The Centre provides lakhs of crores of rupees to Tamil Nadu, which should properly utilize the same for development.“He said the state had submitted an incomplete report for the proposed Coimbatore metro project, lacking mandatory details required for Central approval. “The Centre had returned the proposal seeking clarifications, but the state govt failed to respond. This is the “typical approach” of chief minister M K Stalin,” he said while accusing the state of obstructing Central initiatives. Goyal said DMK leader Senthilbalaji was associated with corruption and was under court scrutiny, and expressed confidence that Coimbatore voters would reject “false promises”. He highlighted infrastructure development under J Jayalalithaa and slammed DMK govt for neglecting infrastructure and basic amenities. Goyal questioned the allocation of 28 seats to Congress, asking if it represented a “local Dravidian regional party”. Pointing out that police were harassing YouTubers in the state and restricting social media posts, the minister wondered whether the election commission would be able to ensure fair election in Tamil Nadu. He also appealed DMK and Congress to support the women’s reservation bill in parliament, and avoid spreading false statements. While campaigning for BJP candidate Vanathi Srinivasan at Saibaba Colony, where a roadshow was conducted, Goyal said Coimbatore would decide the road to power in Chennai. Goyal called Vanathi, who is contesting in Coimbatore North, his “sister” and praised her for defeating Kamal Haasan in the previous election, while urging voters to support her again. He raised slogans like “vendam Udhayanidhi” (No Udhayanidhi), warning that a vote for M K Stalin could make the path to CM for Udhayanidhi Stalin easier.Accusing DMK of corruption and family rule, he said Senthilbalaji was an agent for a family rule. “Backing the AIADMK-BJP alliance, you are paving the way for return of “Amma (Jayalalithaa) rule.” He also campaigned for NDA-backed AIADMK candidate Amman Arjunan in Coimbatore South, where a roadshow was held on VKK Menon Road near Gandhipuram. During the speech, he said Udhayanidhi Stalin lacked respect for Tamil culture.
