Narendra Modi to address youth conference in Tamil Nadu next month

Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013, 19:09 IST | Place: Chennai | Agency: PTI

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will address a "massive" youth conference in Tamil Nadu next month, the party said today.

"Modi will address a massive youth conference in Tamil Nadu on September 26. The place and other arrangements will be decided soon," party's National General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao told reporters here.

Modi, recently appointed BJP's Campaign Committee Chief for next year's Lok Sabha polls, had chosen to address youth since 60 per cent of the voters were from the age group of below 35 years and who were "idealistic, energetic and take a position" on issues, Rao said.

Modi will be a "factor" in the 2014 elections besides the issue of corruption charges against UPA, he added.

BJP will launch a series of programmes ahead of general elections focusing on states like Tamil Nadu, which among Andhra Pradesh where the saffron leader recently addressed a gathering, are "seen as not strong for BJP," he said.

Slamming the UPA government on the rupee depreciation issue, Rao also charged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram with having "no new ideas" to stem the increasing current account deficit.

He also criticised the Congress-led UPA on foreign policy issues, saying New Delhi was "not firm" with Pakistan, China and Sri Lanka, referring to military skirmishes involving the former two and the ethnic Tamils issue with Colombo.

While his party was ready to support the government if it took "firm" steps with these neighbours, Centre was only attacking BJP, he said.

Asked if BJP supported Tamil Nadu political parties' demand that India should boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka in November, he said the Central leadership will take a stand on the matter but added India cannot "ignore the problems and afflictions" of the ethnic Tamils in the island republic.

BJP was the only "alternative" to the Congress and can deliver a "strong and reliable government with decisive leadership," he claimed.