Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he had learnt from the latter the “art” of speaking for hours without answering any questions.

Stalin, while responding to a series of questions under the ‘Ungalil Oruvan’ programme lashed out at the Modi government for not responding to questions on the Adani-Hindenburg row and the BBC documentary on PM. “There are several allegations against the BJP government and the PM, but he hasn’t responded to any of them. He himself is saying that the country’s people are like my shield. But people aren’t saying that. PM says mudslinging will help the Lotus bloom. Lotus grows only in water bodies not in places where there is water and mud. I learnt the art of speaking for hours without answering any questions,” Tamil Nadu CM said.

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He further said that the PM’s address to the ‘Motion of Thanks’ was filled with “rhetoric.”

“PM’s address in the Parliament was full of rhetoric and it didn’t have any explanation on the BBC or the Adani issue. Sethusamudram project, NEET, state rights, interference of governors, not giving assent to the ban on online gambling bill, many such questions were asked by DMK MPs. There were no answers regarding this in the PM reply,” Stalin said.

“PM didn’t have anything to say for Tamil Nadu,” the Tamil Nadu chief minister said.

On the question of the government not agreeing to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into Hindenburg Research’s report against Adani Group, Stalin said, “Allegations against the Adani group are direct against the BJP government in nature. Even the Supreme Court bench is hearing the case seriously therefore there should be a debate in parliament regarding this and the JPC probe needs to be ordered. The questions raised by Rahul Gandhi are valid. It is shocking that PM hasn’t answered these allegations.”

On the PM’s claim that the Opposition is united by Enforcement Directorate (ED), Stalin came down heavily on him and said that PM Modi himself has accepted that his government is doing “vendetta politics” against the opposition.

“This is PM’s confession for what ED is being used. For the first time in parliament, PM has accepted that he does vendetta politics against the opposition. This is not good for the country and democracy,’ Stalin said.