Chennai: With just days left for Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Madurai for two days.

On Thursday night, clad in dhoti and shirt, he offered prayers at Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple. Modi on Friday slammed the DMK and its ally, the Congress, and said these two parties have mastered the art of not working and spreading lies about those who actually work.

Addressing an election rally in the temple town, he said it was the Congress-led UPA government, in which the DMK was a partner, had banned jallikattu and it was only restored by the AIADMK government in Tamilnadu and the BJP-led NDA at the Centre.

Pointing out that in the 2016 Tamilnadu Congress manifesto, there was a call for ban on Jallikattu (the traditional bull taming sport held during annual Pongal festivities in January), Modi said both the Congress and DMK should be ashamed of themselves.

Asserting that DMK and Congress will neither guarantee safety nor dignity, he said the DMK tried to make peace-loving Madurai, into mafia because of complications in DMK’s first family.

“They’ve not understood the ethos of Madurai. So, no wonder, leaders keep insulting women again and again”, Modi said, adding “Madurai is a city that never sleeps and remains awake always.”

“Madurai teaches us important lessons on empowering Nari Shakti. (women empowerment). We see it in the way women are worshipped and reverred. Our efforts in the Swachh Bharat Mission, Ujjwala Yojana and other such schemes are aimed at empowering women,” he said.

Modi said he was sure that Madurai has woken up to the political realities and will vote for development and progress agenda assured by the NDA.

Noting that Madurai was closely associated with the world’s oldest language, Tamil, the Prime Minister said here one thinks about the Tamil Sangams.

“This land had a great influence on Mahatma Gandhi,” he said and added that the southern Tamilnadu and especially Madurai has a special association with MGR.

In 1980s, Congress had dismissed MGR’s democratically elected government. Then elections were called, and he won again from Madurai.

“In 1977, 1980 and 1984, MGR won from the places around this region. His vision for an inclusive and prosperous society inspires us,” Modi said.

Pointing out that people of this region have a strong mind and big heart, he said years ago people from Saurashtra in my home State Gujarat, came here. The way Madurai has accepted them is a perfect example of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.