Political Storm Rages as Stalin Skips PM Modi's Pamban Event

Upping the ante, Tamil Nadu CM says PM should allay fears of the people on delimitation| PM Modi hits back, saying TN should impart medical education in Tamil | Pamban Bridge is India's first vertical lift sea bridge

- AGENCIES

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Pamban bridge, India's first vertical lift sea bridge and flagged off train service linking Rameswaram island to the rest of the country.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin skipped the event.

Modi flagged off a Coast Guard ship that sailed under the bridge and also laid foundation stone for and dedicated to the nation various rail and road projects totally worth over Rs 8,300 crore.

In his address, Modi said the day marked the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami and that Lord Ram's good governance is the foundation for nation building.

He also outlined the connect Tamil Nadu had to Lord Ram by quoting Sangam era literature.

On the fishermen issue vis-a-vis Sri Lanka, he said over the past decade, more than 3,700 fishermen have been brought back from Sri Lanka, including over 600 in the past year alone.