Rajnath Singh Criticises AIADMK, DMK For Offering Freebies

Chennai: Criticising the freebies culture in Dravidian polity, Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday said his party alone had the 'futuristic vision and development goals' for Tamil Nadu and the country.

Addressing an election rally at Mylapore in Tamil Nadu, he said for the last 50 years the two major Dravidian parties DMK and AIADMK had created an image among the people that there was no alternative to them and thereby assumed that each other would form governments alternately.

"DMK and AIADMK have played the people of the state like football," he said.

Mr Singh was critical of "doles and freebies" promised and provided by both successive DMK and AIADMK regimes and said a government should have a vision and conviction to put the state on the path of development.

"The two parties give doles and freebies and according to a report since 2006 they have spent Rs 11,600 crore for this exercise," he said.

"For how long will this culture of freebies continue?" he asked, adding his party had "the vision and conviction to take the state on the path of development" and asked people to give a chance to the BJP in the May 16 assembly polls, which it is contesting in alliance with some minor parties.

By doling out such freebies, the two Dravidian parties only wanted the people to remain poor and dependent on them so that they can keep coming to the saddle of power, he alleged.

The Home Minister also alleged that the money being spent on elections by AIADMK and DMK was not earned but "looted money".

Mr Singh said while the BJP government at the Centre had a clear majority and also formed governments in various states, it was emerging as the third alternative wherever it was not ruling.

He slammed the DMK, AIADMK and Congress for being involved in corruption and said a series of scams such as the 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games, Agustawestland deal had tumbled out during the UPA regime of which DMK was a key constituent.