Chennai, Jan 14 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P. Nadda on Thursday said Tamil Nadu is a unique mix of spiritualism and economic development.
Attired in the Tamil traditional dress white dhoti, shirt and angavastram Nadda participating in the `Namma Ooru Pongal Vizha' (our city Pongal festival) addressed the party cadres.
Addressing the party workers, Nadda said Tamil Nadu is the land of spiritualism with 63 Nayanars and 12 Alwars hailing from this holy land.
He said saints like Ramanuja were also from Tamil Nadu and added that the Tamil language is the oldest language in the world.
Nadda said the state had famous Kings and empires like the Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas and Pallavas who contributed immensely to its development.
According to him, each district of the state has contributed to the nation's freedom struggle against the British and reeled out several names.
"We are proud that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been reciting Tamil poems in different parts of the world," Nadda said.
He informed that Modi has taken great interest in the development of Tamil Nadu.
The BJP President said the 13th Finance Commission during the UPA rule gave only Rs 94,000 crore for Tamil Nadu while the 14th Finance Commission under Modi's rule has given about Rs 5,42,000 crore to the state.
Nadda said the people of the state have benefitted immensely under various central government schemes like the Jan Dhan Yojana (94 lakh people from Tamil Nadu joined the scheme), about 30 lakh gas connections for the poor, 36 lakh LED bulbs distributed in the state, about Rs 50,000 crore distributed under Mudra loan, sanctioning of AIIMS hospital and 11 medical colleges for the state and others.
According to him the defence corridor coming up in the state is the opening up of the economic corridor.
Nadda also praised Modi for leading the nation from the front in the fight against Covid-19.
He said the country has now over 2,500 hospitals for Covid-19, manufactures over five lakh personal protection equipment and three lakh ventilators.
Earlier in the evening Nadda was given a rousing reception by the Tamil Nadu BJP unit at the airport.
He also participated in the making of Pongal at the 'Namma Ooru Pongal Vizha'.
( With inputs from IANS )
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