Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin on Tuesday mounted a sharp political counterattack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over remarks alleging that the state was unsafe for women, dismissing the claim as false and politically motivated. His response comes ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with political rhetoric between the Centre and the state government intensifying.

Addressing a large DMK women’s conference in Thanjavur district, Stalin directly challenged the Prime Minister’s comments, accusing him of misrepresenting the situation in Tamil Nadu. Referring to Modi pointedly as “Mr. Prime Minister,” Stalin said the Centre should first account for its own record on women’s safety before casting aspersions on opposition-ruled states.

The Chief Minister also invoked the violence in Manipur to question the Union government’s handling of law and order, arguing that the Centre had failed to ensure safety and stability in regions under its direct responsibility. He maintained that Tamil Nadu, under the DMK-led government, followed a governance model focused on social justice, welfare, and inclusive development, which he described as the “Dravidian model.”

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Responding to allegations of rising drug abuse in the state, Stalin rejected the charge and countered that narcotics were entering India through states governed by the BJP. He accused the Centre of failing to curb drug trafficking at the national level while attempting to deflect blame onto state governments for political gain.

Stalin’s remarks underline the growing political confrontation between the DMK and the BJP as the election season approaches. With women’s safety, governance, and law and order emerging as key campaign themes, both sides appear set to sharpen their narratives in the weeks ahead, framing the debate around accountability, development models, and federal responsibility.

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