South will produce PM who treats every Indian equally: TN minister Aadhav Arjuna

Tamil Nadu minister Aadhav Arjuna said a future Prime Minister must emerge from the South. He linked that call to Lee Kuan Yew's model of equal citizenship, discipline and long-term planning.Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna says PM must emerge from the South.Tamil Nadu Public Works Department Minister Aadhav Arjuna has pitched the idea of a future Prime Minister emerging from the South, while arguing that the state is witnessing a political shift driven by social justice, anti-corruption sentiment and a demand for better administration.“I say this clearly today, a Prime Minister must emerge from the South and the Prime Minister will emerge from the South, maybe not now, in future, he will represent every Indian and will treat every Indian equally,” Arjuna said.In a wide-ranging speech, Arjuna also spoke about Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, saying the current shift was about more than a change of government and that the ideals of social justice remained deeply rooted among Tamil people.“This is not just change of government. Ideals of social justice still aligned in the heart of every Tamil person,” he said. He also referred to voters who turned out in the heat to cast their ballots, saying, “People stood in hot sun to vote for whistle.”‘THIS IS A REVOLUTION, DRAVIDAM MEANS EQUALITY’Arjuna described the political change he sees in Tamil Nadu as a revolution and linked it to the Dravidian principle of equality. “This is a revolution, Dravidam means equality,” he said.He argued that there was no ideological conflict over Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu and that corruption, rather than ideology, was now the central political issue.“We don't have any ideological problem in Tamil Nadu. Only focus is corruption,” Arjuna said.He called for a government free of corruption and specifically spoke about eliminating bribery in government transfers and postings.“Corruption free government No bribe for transfer and postings,” he said.Arjuna also acknowledged that lower-level corruption continued in the state, attributing it to decades of political rule.“Lower level corruption is still there because of 40, 50 years of rule,” he said.‘AFTER JAYALALITHAA AND KARUNANIDHI, THERE WAS A VACANCY’Assessing the state’s political leadership, Arjuna said Tamil Nadu had experienced a leadership vacuum after the deaths of former Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi.“After Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi - there was a vacancy,” he said.He described Chief Minister MK Stalin as an administrator rather than a leader, while also taking aim at AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami.“Stalin was an administrator not a leader,” Arjuna said.“EPS is a failed administrator,” he added.Arjuna argued that the ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK shared the same ideological foundation, with the key difference being how they administered the state.“DMK, AIADMK has same ideology. Only difference is administration,” he said.‘80% OF OUR TVK MLAS ARE FROM LOWER MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES’Arjuna also spoke about the social background of leaders associated with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), saying a large majority came from lower middle-class families.“80% of our TVK MLAs are from lower middle class families,” he said.He also made a reference to women voters and argued that financial incentives alone could not secure their political trust.“You can't win the trust of a woman by giving money,” Arjuna said.‘WE HAVE NOT CELEBRATED OUR VICTORY’Arjuna said the political movement had not yet celebrated its victory and described its approach as one focused on its political objectives rather than celebrations.“Till now we have not celebrated our victory. He's a political monk. Focus on corruption,” he said.He also set out an ambition for Tamil Nadu to become the country’s first corruption-free state.“TN - 1st corruption-less state,” he said.‘EVERY CITIZEN HAS A STAKE IN THE COUNTRY’Making a broader argument about leadership and governance, Arjuna invoked Singapore’s former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.“Lee Kuan Yew said it best, my primary preoccupation was with you. Every citizen has a stake in the country and its future,” he said.Arjuna cited Singapore’s transformation under Lee, saying the country had gone from being a poor port to a first-world nation within one generation.“He took Singapore from a poor port to a first world nation in one generation,” Arjuna said.He attributed the transformation not to luck but to discipline, clean governance and long-term planning.“Not by luck, by discipline, by clean government, by planning 50 years ahead and by making sure ordinary family owned a share of the future,” he said.Quoting Lee Kuan Yew again, Arjuna added: “We may be a small country, but we must have big dreams.”Arjuna’s remarks combine a call for a corruption-free Tamil Nadu with a broader political argument that the South can produce a national leader capable of representing the entire country.He also expressed an emotional connection between India Today and TVK and thanked the management for what he described as an honest exit poll report.- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Aug 17, 2026 17:50 IST