No pressure on AIADMK to ally with BJP: Modi
BJP did not “pressurise” the AIADMK for an alliance in Tamil Nadu and it was natural for both parties to come together to fight the April 18 Lok Sabha polls since “we have had long friendship”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.
Maintaining that the “BJP was a junior partner” in the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, Modi said the electoral understanding was arrived keeping in mind elections and political reasons and it does not mean that the NDA government’s fight against corruption would weaken.
“We are a junior partner in the AIADMK government, and this alliance was stitched up for political and electoral reasons. Our fight against corruption will not end…Even if there are allegations against Narendra Modi, he will be investigated. No one can escape from investigations,” Modi told Daily Thanthi group of Tamil Nadu in an interview.
The Prime Minister was responding to questions on why the BJP aligned with AIADMK, whose ministers are facing allegations of corruption, at a time he says he was fighting graft. Modi also said he does not speak about Armed Forces in his election rallies, but only about soldiers and our achievements in the space arena.
“What is wrong? If Balakot hadn’t happened, would have Opposition parties refused from criticising me? Would the Opposition have spared me if Abhinandan hadn’t returned? They (Opposition) had even planned to hold a candlelight vigil and pay tributes to him,” he said.
Modi also rejected suggestions that the AIADMK was “pressurised” to enter into an alliance with the BJP, saying the two parties have always enjoyed friendship from the times of late J Jayalalithaa.
“We have had long friendship with AIADMK, and the party has had supported us in Parliament. In politics, no one can be pressurised, and the BJP does not know how to pressurise (others) and does not need to. This is the truth. Everyone knows the friendship that Jayalalithaa enjoyed with BJP,” Modi said.
To a question, the Prime Minister rejected suggestions that the BJP was struggling to make inroads into South India and steered clear of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement that NDA should come back to power in India for Indo-Pak talks to resume.