Chennai: Expressing dismay over the state of affairs over the manner the government-run schools functioned, BJP national secretary H. Raja has claimed that Tasmac shops outnumbered the government schools in TN.
Alleging that the "condition of education in government schools is bad," he said while the Tasmac shops which fetched revenue to the state government, thrived, several primary schools were facing closure on account of thinning of student population. "About 2,000 primary schools in TN are facing imminent closure as there were not even 20 students studying in a class," Mr Raja said while speaking at the BJP Yuva Morcha's protest - March to Fort St. George, here on Monday.
The agitation was meant to draw the attention of the state government to improve the quality of education in the schools run by the state government and phased out the TASMAC shops among the other demands.
Asserting that the Tamil Nadu youth are beginning to accept what Prime Minister Narendra Modi is saying, BJP national general secretary P. Muralidhar Rao said the youth know good governance is possible only with the BJP. "TN is now changing for Modiji. It is waiting for Modiji," he added. Party state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and Coir Board chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan were among those who spoke.
Tamil pride is BJP pride, we want more Kalams, says Poonam: BJP Yuva Morcha President Poonam Mahajan who presided over the protest rally, invoked the Tamil pride saying "Tamil pride is BJP pride" and sought to know if Tamil pride was ever "respected" during the previous UPA regime at the Centre. Though votes were garnered by invoking it, it was quickly forgotten by the political parties once they reached Delhi. "That is not the case with the BJP, which has resolved to stand by the people of Tamil Nadu," she asserted.
Lauding late President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had shown respect to the former President and took forward his initiatives, including the "blue revolution" for the fishermen, she said "TN gave us Abdul Kalam. We want more Kalams, who will take on the world & make Tamil pride the country's pride."
Ms Poonam took potshots at DMK working president M. K. Stalin for "taking lessons" from Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Repeating the "lessons" jibe used by Muralidhar Rao, who spoke before her, she wondered why did Gandhi not opt for a bulletproof car during his recent visit to Gujarat's Banaskantha district, where a cement brick was hurled at the Cong-ress vice-president's car.
"We don't want to throw stones at people who do nothing for the nation. We would use our hands to do better things for the country," the BJP leader said. Referring to the two major Dravidian parties, she said, "the sun (DMK's symbol) is setting, the leaves (two leaves of the AIADMK) are falling apart and what we have to do now is see that the lotus blooms everywhere in TN."
On the turnout at the rally, she said if this was the BJP youth wing's "trailer," the film would be "super hit." Likening Mr. Modi with the "real sun," she said the PM was "burning himself" without even taking a single holiday to serve the people.
Anyone could directly connect with the prime minister through the "Modi app" she said and asked if it was possible to do the same with leaders like Stalin. The BJP leader said she would try and speak in Tamil the next time and be a "Tamil sister.
