Claiming to bring back the rule of humble leaders like Kamaraj and Karunanidhi, who reached out to people on issues like the river Cauvery which reached people all over the State, the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has compared Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with isolated islands that do not reach out to people.

Addressing a public rally at VOC grounds in Coimbatore on Saturday, Rahul promised that the DMK-Congress alliance would provide a rule of leaders who would always be available to people. “If Coimbatore city is called the Manchester of South India, it was because of these leaders,” Rahul said, adding that the DMK-Congress will make Coimbatore the Manchester of the entire country.

“Leaders like Modi and Jaya do not believe in reaching out to people, but think that they know the problems of the people by just sitting at home. They do not speak to workers, or to jewellery manufacturers who are suffering, but extort from them in the name of duty,” he alleged.

Adding that one out of every pump sold in the India was produced in Coimbatore, Rahul accused Jayalalithaa of not having neither met the manufacturers nor hearing their complaints.

“The rights of the people, their voices, and freedom of expression are being suppressed in the state and the country like the voice of the opposition, which is being suppressed in the Parliament,” said Rahul.

Calling Jayalalithaa a leader who does not care about the people, Rahul claimed that around Rs.65,000 was being extorted from each family due to the state’s liquor policy.

“Jayalalithaa did not say that she will increase the number of liquor shops from 1800 to 6800 in five years, but she did,” said Rahul, adding that many families were being destroyed by Tasmac.

He further added that 90 percent of Dalits did not hold an inch of land, 50 percent of the population was working as manual labourers, and 94 lakh youths were unemployed.

Rahul promised that, if voted to power, their government will eradicate liquor and corruption, reach out to the people, waive loans of farmers, and make Tamil Nadu a hub of industries.