Congress leader Rahul Gandhi rolled out a fierce political narrative aimed squarely at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the idea of Delhi‑centric governance while addressing a massive public rally in poll-bound Tamil Nadu. Portraying the recent parliamentary battle over delimitation and the Women’s Reservation Bill as an attack on Tamil Nadu’s federal space, Gandhi fused emotional appeals with a detailed promise‑sheet of six guarantees for the state, casting the upcoming Assembly elections as a referendum on whether Tamil Nadu should be ruled by its own people or by a proxy from Delhi.

In his Ranipet election speech, Rahul Gandhi declared, “I believe and the Congress party believes, that the Tamil people should rule Tamil Nadu.” He argued that the state should never be governed by a “proxy” hand‑picked in Delhi, even as he claimed the BJP’s centralising agenda seeks to replace independent leaders like Chief Minister MK Stalin with pliable allies.

Linking his Ranipet address to his earlier Ponneri poll rally, Rahul insisted that the recent Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which bundled delimitation with a women‑centric law, was aimed at reducing Tamil Nadu’s representation in Parliament and weakening southern and smaller states. He alleged that the real target of the bill was the political voice of Tamil Nadu, not women’s empowerment and praised the opposition’s role in defeating it.

Six key guarantees for Tamil Nadu-

Rahul Gandhi used the Ranipet platform to reiterate a set of six Congress‑DMK alliance guarantees for Tamil Nadu, promising direct monthly cash transfers and institutional reforms if the INDIA bloc comes to power:

  1. Rs 2,000 per month for every woman as basic financial support.
  2. Rs 2,000 per month for senior citizens and differently abled persons to enhance social security.
  3. Rs 2,000 per month scholarship for college students, aimed at reducing dropout rates and boosting higher‑education access.
  4. Rs 2,500 per month for families to ensure food security and meet daily living expenses.
  5. Government vacancies to be filled within 300 days, with an additional 60 per cent reservation for locals in Group C and D posts.
  6. Free property registration for first‑time women owners, to promote women’s property rights and financial independence.

These guarantees, repeatedly highlighted at rallies and in party social‑media posts, are designed to build on Tamil Nadu’s existing social‑justice model while framing the BJP as a threat to that legacy.

Delhi’s arrogance and the charge of a proxy government

Rahul Gandhi accused PM Modi of being unable to control the present Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, precisely because Stalin is independent and unwilling to subordinate the state to Centre‑driven diktats. He claimed that PM Modi’s frustration has led to a strategy of trying to install a friendly government in Tamil Nadu that would fall in line with BJP’s centralising vision.

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Prophesying the election outcome, Rahul also asserted that the DMK‑Congress alliance will sweep the elections and that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will then be forced to reckon with the strength and will of Tamil voters. He also alleged that Modi’s parliamentary behaviour- avoiding direct confrontation with the opposition and relying on allies- reflected a loss of confidence under pressure from external forces, especially the United States.

Tamil Nadu defeats Delhi: MK Stalin

Shortly after the delimitation‑linked Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday evening, Chief Minister MK Stalin declared that “Tamil Nadu has defeated Delhi” and posted a digitally rendered image of himself burning a copy of the bill on X.

Allegations on US influence and Epstein files

In a combative passage, Rahul claimed that Modi’s governance decisions are shaped by foreign pressure, citing alleged deals with the United States that compromise India’s energy security, data sovereignty and farmers’ interests. He went further by asserting that Donald Trump “fully controls” Modi through the so‑called “Epstein files”.

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While these claims are largely speculative and not independently verified, they are being used by the Congress‑led opposition to frame the BJP government as subservient to global capital and to contrast that with what Rahul portrays as a locally rooted, people‑centred leadership in Tamil Nadu.

You have always supported me: Rahul Gandhi shares emotional bond with Tamil Nadu

Rahul Gandhi appealed strongly to the culture and emotional bond between his family and Tamil Nadu, recalling the love shown to his grandmother Indira Gandhi and his father Rajiv Gandhi. He said the people of Tamil Nadu have always stood by him, and he now wants them to see him as “your soldier in Delhi,” pledging that he will extend any support or protection they ask for.

Accusing BJP of undermining Tamil Nadu

Rahul accused the BJP‑led Union government of deliberately withholding Tamil Nadu’s funds, including around Rs 2,000 crore meant for education, delaying the AIIMS in Madurai and slowing central approvals for the state’s metro projects. He argued that these actions are part of a systematic effort to weaken Tamil Nadu economically and institutionally so that its capacity to resist Delhi’s agenda is eroded over time.

Yet, despite such moves, he insisted that the BJP‑RSS will never be able to “enter” Tamil Nadu in a decisive way and that no external force can touch Tamil Nadu or its language.

No one can touch Tamil Nadu: INDI Alliance wows

Rahul also pledged that the INDI Alliance will stand with Tamil Nadu to protect its identity, culture and rights, rejecting what he described as the BJP’s push for a ‘one‑nation, one‑leader, one‑language’ template that, in his view, violates the federal spirit of the Constitution.

Tamil Nadu polls

Tamil Nadu Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in a single phase on April 23 (Thursday), with counting of votes on May 4 (Monday).The main electoral contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay-led TVK is attempting to turn the state elections into a three-way contest.