DMK insulted ISRO scientists: PM

Now they have crossed the limit. They have pasted the sticker of China to take credit for ISRO launchpad in Tamil Nadu. This is an insult to our country, an insult to our patriotic space scientists - Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Thoothukudi (TN): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects, including a new launch complex of ISRO, totally worth about Rs 17,300 crore.

The ISRO complex at Kulasekarapattinam near here, is worth about Rs 986 crore and the facility is set to accommodate 24 launches per year. Modi castigated the earlier UPA regime for not being 'bothered about' about Tamil Nadu's progress.

In a fierce attack on the DMK, he alleged the Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravidian party not does not cooperate with Centre on its welfare schemes. The DMK took credit for the work done by the BJP-regime at the Centre, he claimed. The PM inaugurated projects in Thoothukudi and addressed a BJP rally at nearby Tirunelveli before concluding his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu. He had attended a rally in Tiruppur and an official event in Madurai on Tuesday. Criticising the DMK for staging a walk out in the Parliament during a recent discussion on the Ayodhya Shri Ram temple, he alleged the DMK has again proved its hate for people's faith.

"Tamil Nadu's connect with Shri Ram is well-known. Before the January 22 consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, I visited different temples, including in Dhanushkodi (in TN). The entire country was happy that the temple was coming up after so many years. A related matter came up in the Parliament but the DMK MPs ran away," Modi said at Tirunelveli rally.

The DMK regime does not work but only took false credit and it affixed its 'stickers' on Central schemes. "Now they have crossed the limit. They have pasted the sticker of China to take credit for ISRO launchpad in Tamil Nadu. This is an insult to our country, an insult to our patriotic space scientists."

The people of Tamil Nadu will punish the DMK. The Tamil Nadu BJP alleged that in an advertisement in a daily the DMK used 'Chinese flag' and 'Chinese language' to claim credit for bringing the new ISRO complex at Kulasekarapattinam. Against this background, Modi alleged DMK is not prepared to hail India's progress and the nation's achievemens in space technology. "They gave this advertisement from the tax that you pay. It didn't have India's space success, didn't want to highlight it before the world."

DMK Deputy general secretary Kanmozhi said the new ISRO launch complex scheme marked her party's continuous efforts over the past 10 years, which will be a big boost for Tamil Nadu's development. Underlining his commitment for TN, he referred to election of union minister L Murugan to the Rajya Sabha from the "Hindi heartland" state of Madhya Pradesh. Attacking DMK and Congress, Modi alleged they created rift among people and slammed them for dynasty politics.