"Still a repressive regime going on": DMK's Kanimozhi hits out at Centre

Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 17 (ANI): K Kanizmozhi, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's candidate from Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency, hit out at the central government and said that still a "repressive regime" is going on.
"How many people died, were jailed during freedom struggle? After a lot of hardship, we got freedom from the British. Even today, a repressive regime is still going on in the Union," Kanimozhi said during a public rally in Pudukottai panchayat in Thoothukudi.
"People have no right to fight, the press has no right to criticise the government, opposition parties cannot call out any flaws in Modi's rule, and anyone who says this is sent to jail. Two Chief Ministers are in jail today, a Deputy Chief Minister, many opposition leaders. If they side with (PM) Modi, they will get away with it, if they stand against it, they will go to jail," she added.
She further alleged that governance under the current dispensation is a "totalitarian regime" while claiming that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power, then there will be "no democracy".

"If Modi returns to power, maybe by accident, this is our last election, We have to understand that there will be no democracy, only dictatorship will survive in this country. There is not even a monarchy, it is a totalitarian regime," she said.
"(PM) Modi has not fulfilled any promise to the people in last 10 years. We are suffering in this heat; similarly, this regime is a regime that can burn for ten years and torture the people," she added.
Kanimozhi also criticised the BJP government at the Centre for the hike in prices of gas cylinder and fuel.
"BJP claimed to provide gas cylinder subsidy but did not. Today gas cylinder price is Rs 1100. When our INDIA bloc comes to power, cost of gas cylinder will be brought to Rs 500, petrol will be given at Rs 75 and diesel at Rs 65. Congress has said in its election manifesto that a poor woman will be given one lakh rupees every year," the DMK leader said.
The incumbent MP also urged the people to vote with the "spirit of second freedom struggle".
"I request that you all vote in this election with the spirit of second freedom struggle, as our Chief Minister said," she said.
Kanimozhi is seeking re-election after winning the 2019 general elections by a margin of over 3 lakh votes against the BJP's Tamilisai Soundararajan.
Voting for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will be held in the first phase of the general elections on April 19.
In the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, comprising the Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB, registered a landslide victory, winning 38 of the 39 seats in the state
The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4. (ANI)