Stalin Accuses Modi Government of Ignoring Tamil Nadu’s Legitimate Demands

Questioning the Modi government for allegedly "turning a deaf ear" to the persistent legitimate demands of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister and ruling DMK president MK Stalin on Saturday said this is highly unfair and is in stark contrast to the claim of the country being the largest democracy.

"No one with a clear conscience will accept the discrimination and betrayal meted out to Tamil Nadu, contributing highest tax revenue. We will not bow down, we will stand tall and the union Government will have to respond to the people's representatives from Tamil Nadu in the winter session of Parliament," he wrote on his 'X' handle.

"Despite raising the demands through letters as well as petitions submitted in person and Assembly resolutions, the union Government remaining unmoved and turning a deaf ear is unjustified. Overcoming your discriminatory attitude, we have achieved 11.19 % economic growth," he pointed out.

Earlier in the day a meeting of the DMK MPs, held at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, chaired by Stalin, resolved to raise issues concerning Tamil Nadu in the winter session. The meeting was attended by all the MPs, including Kanimozhi, party Deputy General Secretary and DMK Parliamentary Party leader.

A resolution adopted at the meeting condemned the Modi government for piling up a "never before financial burden" on the states in implementing union Government-sponsored schemes even while discriminating in financial allocation from the Central pool and in sharing GST revenue. "While states under the BJP and its allies are extended a largesse, those under opposition parties are given a pittance, the office of Governor is blatantly misused to harass the opposition ruled state governments," it read.

Condemning the step motherly attitude of the Modi government in granting new railway projects for Tamil Nadu and financial allocation for completing existing projects, the meeting demanded that the Prime Minister intervene and accord clearance for the Metro Rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai.

Slamming the alleged saffronisation of education by the union Government, the meeting called for the immediate release of Rs 3,548.22 crore under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds. It also demanded that the pending dues under the MGNREGA programme should be released forthwith.

On the four new labour codes, the meeting demanded that the legitimate rights of workers should not be compromised. Calling for a lasting solution to protect the traditional rights of fishermen in the Palk Strait, the meeting urged the union Government to take it up with Sri Lanka.