Chennai, May 21 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi "not to denigrate Tamil Nadu and Tamil people for garnering votes" in north Indian and other states.

Taking strong exception to a speech by the Prime Minister in which he said that the keys of the Puri Jagannath temple treasury were in Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said that the PM’s statement had, apart from insulting crores of believers of Lord Jagannath, been offensive to the people of Tamil Nadu who maintain a cordial relationship with the people of Odisha.

"Can Prime Minister Modi accuse the people of Tamil Nadu of stealing from the treasury of Lord Jagannath of Puri? Will calling the people of Tamil Nadu dishonest not amount to insulting the people of Tamil Nadu? Why does the PM harbour so much hatred towards the people of Tamil Nadu ?" Stalin, who is also the DMK chief, said in a statement.

Hitting out at the Prime Minister, he said: "The Prime Minister who glorifies Tamil language and lauds the intellectual capacity of Tamils while he is in Tamil Nadu, projects the same people as 'thieves' and 'hate-mongers' while he is campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha."

"People will understand his double standards, the Prime Minister must stop denigrating Tamil Nadu and Tamils for votes."

Stalin also accused PM Modi "of promoting enmity between states and their peoples through his hate speeches instead of being a role model and highlighting his government’s achievements and party’s ideology and levelling constructive criticism against the opposition during campaigns without violating political decorum".

The Prime Minister’s speeches do not augur well for the country, he contended.