Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday targeted Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK, alleging that its governance model is “by the family, for the family,” and claiming there is a competition within the family to “loot.”
Addressing an NDA election rally, Modi said that over the past five years, two things have risen to record levels in Tamil Nadu — one family’s wealth and the state’s debt.
“The DMK’s top family is becoming richer, while the debt on each person in Tamil Nadu is increasing. The DMK’s policy is ‘by the family, of the family, and for the family.’ The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and a prominent MP in Delhi all belong to the same family. Even the film industry and media houses are controlled by one family. Senior DMK leaders, too, have to defer to younger members of that family,” he said.
“Whenever I meet people from Tamil Nadu, they tell me there is a competition within the family over who will loot more,” he alleged, adding that the state needs “vision in governance, not son or son-in-law-driven politics.”
Drawing a parallel, Modi said the DMK and its ally in Delhi share similarities, claiming both are marked by the influence of a “son-in-law.” “India is fed up with one son-in-law, and Tamil Nadu is fed up with another,” he said, alleging corruption linked to both.
Highlighting what he described as a contrast, Modi cited the example of Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, saying he rose through honesty and hard work despite having no political background. He added that during Radhakrishnan’s tenure at the Coir Board, exports reached record levels.
Underscoring Tamil Nadu’s role as a key growth engine, the Prime Minister outlined the Centre’s contribution to the state’s development. “In the last eleven years, the Centre has provided over Rs 14 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu through tax devolution, infrastructure, and welfare schemes,” he said, adding that this was significantly higher than the support extended during the Congress-DMK regime at the Centre.
– Ends
Published By:
Aprameya Rao
Published On:
Apr 18, 2026 23:12 IST
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