Need INDIA Bloc At Centre To Ensure Social Justice, Equality: Stalin

Addressing a well-attended election rally here, he also slammed the ruling BJP at the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a slew of issues, including electoral bonds.

Elections to 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held on April 19 in the first phase.

He mocked the PM for announcing a cut in LPG cylinder prices this year on the occasion of International Women's Day, asking if the day was not celebrated in the previous years. The price cut was effected with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls.

The CM, whose DMK is a key constituent in the opposition INDI alliance, was seeking votes for his party candidate from Tenkasi (SC), Dr Rani Srikumar and Congress' B Manickam Tagore, who is contesting from here.

"It is imperative to ensure INDIA bloc's rule in the country to ensure social justice, brotherhood and equality," he said, while batting for the mega opposition alliance.

Slamming the BJP over the electoral bonds issue, he termed it as a "Himalayan scam" that was 'shaking up' the saffron party.

He also attacked the ruling party at the Centre over issues including NEET, GST, job creation, slow pace of AIIMS construction in Madurai in the state and charged the union government with not doing enough for the firecracker industry in this district.