Rahul Gandhi hits campaign trail in Tamil Nadu, targets PM Modi

Coimbatore, Jan 23: Launching his party's campaign for Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi partnered with big businessmen and was 'selling'everything that belonged to the people.

Addressing people from an open van here, Gandhi targeted the Prime Minister in his first of the three-daycampaign of western Tamil Nadu.

In April or early May state assembly elections are likelyin the state.

''What does Modi do ? Modi partners with three or fourbig businessmen in this country. They provide him media and heprovides them money,'' he alleged.

''Narendra Modi is one by one selling everything thatbelongs to the people of India and Tamil Nadu.'' The Congress MP said what belonged to the farmers wasnow being taken away by three new farm laws and alleged ryots''are going to be made servants'' of biggest industries.

Attacking BJP, he said his party was involved in a fightagainst a 'particular' ideology that believed that ''only oneculture, one language and one idea should rule India.'' Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ''no respect'' for theculture, language and people of Tamil Nadu, he alleged.

Modi ''thinks that the Tamil people, Tamil language andTamil culture should be subservient to his ideas, hisculture,'' Gandhi claimed.

The Congress leader, who is visiting Tamil Nadu for thesecond time within 10 days, was accorded a rousing receptionby Congress workers at the airport on his arrival from Delhi.

He is set to cover districts including Coimbatore, andErode, in western parts of the state, popularly known as the'Kongu' (Tamil name) region.

He visited Madurai on January 14 to witness bull tamingsport 'Jallikattu.'