Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam youth wing secretary and candidate from Chepauk constituency, Udhayanidhi Stalin triggered a controversy on Thursday with his comments alleging that former Union ministers Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley died due to "torture" and "pressure" exerted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Attacking PM Modi on Thursday, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "There was a person called Sushma Swaraj. She died due to the pressure exerted by Modi. There was a person called Arun Jaitley. He died due to the torture by Modi."
Besides this, the DMK leader further alleged that the Prime Minister "sidelined" senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders like Venkaiah Naidu.
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"You sidelined them all. Mr Modi, I am not [Tamil Nadu Chief Minister] E Palaniswami to be afraid of you or bow down before you. I am Udhayanidhi Stalin, grandson of Kalaignar," he said.
Udhayanidhi Stalin had made the comment at a public programme in Dharapuram on Wednesday. He was responding to a comment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Dharapuram on Tuesday that the young leader of the DMK had reached the top post in the party sidelining many leaders.
Meanwhile, responding to Udhayanidhi Stalin's grave allegations against Prime Minister, Sushma Swaraj's daughter Bansuri Swaraj hit back saying Udhayanidhi should not use her mother's memory for his election propaganda.
Bansuri Swaraj, the daughter of Sushama Swaraj, has disapproved of the statement of Udhayanidhi and in a tweet said the 'statement of Udhayanidhi Stalin was totally false and that the Prime minister had bestowed upon the family utmost care and respect at a time when it was needed most'. She also said that 'the Prime minister and BJP had stood by the family like a rock'.
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The daughter of Arun Jaitley, Sonali Jaitley Bakshi also came out against the DMK scion and in a tweet said 'her late dad and Prime minister Narendra Modi shared a personal bond beyond politics and that to make false allegations under election pressure was not right'.
"Udhaystalin, I know there is election pressure - but I would not stay silent when you lie and disrespect my father's memory. Dad Arun Jaitley and Narendra Modi shared a special bond that was beyond politics. I pray you are lucky enough to know such friendship," she tweeted.
In response to his remarks, Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP has lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer to disqualify, Udhayanidhi Stalin from contesting the polls.
BJP Tamil Nadu state general secretary and party spokesman Advocate K T Raghavan said, "A BJP delegation has already met Chief Electoral officer Tamil Nadu and lodged a formal complaint to disqualify Udhayanidhi Stalin from contesting elections owing to his highly derogatory remarks against respected BJP leaders, late Sushama Swaraj and late Arun Jaitley. This is highly condemnable and we have lodged a criminal complaint against him with the Chennai police commissioner."
With inputs from IANS
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