Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu), Jan 25 (PTI) Attacking Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday said the Prime Minister, during his recent TN visit, did not respond to any of the state-specific questions raised by him, including on funds.
The DMK President was addressing a public meeting organised here on the occasion of Language Martyrs Day, observed in honour of those who had sacrificed their lives during the anti-Hindi agitation in the 1960s.
Targeting Modi for his speech during a NDA rally at Mathuranthakam in this district on January 23, Stalin said during election season, Modi visits Tamil Nadu and has habit of making “empty promises”.
“Day before yesterday (January 23), Modi had visited Tamil Nadu. From now on, we can expect him frequently. Once the election season arrives, it is his habit of coming to Tamil Nadu and make empty promises,” Stalin said.
Maintaining that the people of Tamil Nadu are tired of hearing his “empty promises”, Stalin said he raised several questions ahead of his visit and claimed that Modi did not answer any of them.
“When it was announced that PM was coming, I raised several questions. You all must have read it in the media. When will the Rs 3,548 crore of education funds to Tamil Nadu be released? When will you guarantee that Tamil Nadu’s Parliamentary constituencies will not be reduced under delimitation exercise…” Stalin said and claimed that Modi did not answer to any of his queries.
Referring to the 2024 Parliamentary elections, Stalin said despite the PM campaigning in Tamil Nadu several times, the people gave the BJP a “total defeat”.
On BJP forming alliance with AIADMK and its General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami sitting next to Modi at the NDA rally, Stalin pointed out that they said in the public meeting that NDA will form government in the state post the forthcoming Assembly polls.
“They did not even say that the AIADMK government and call it as NDA. Tamil Nadu is not in a situation that you should come and develop it. Tamil Nadu is already developed and it is progressing every day. Economy, industrial investment, education– TN has grown in these areas. It has grown to a point where even the Union government cannot hide or deny it” he said.
Stalin took exception to Modi’s comments on drug menace in the state, claiming that the Centre has declared that Rs 11,311 crore worth of narcotics have been seized at Indian ports in the last five years.
“Majority of the seizures made were in Gujarat and Maharashtra ports. Who is ruling these states? The DMK ? No. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Modi are responsible for preventing drugs from entering India. Is it fair to come to Mathuranthakam and speak what should have been spoken in Maharashtra,” Stalin asked.
He also refuted the PM’s charge on women’s safety and said the participation of women is highest in social sector.
On the sensational Bilkis Bano case, Stalin said the Gujarat government released the 11 convicts and the Supreme Court stepped in. His government in Tamil Nadu has passed a law that there should be no premature release for those involved in sexual crimes, the CM said.
Noting that the 2026 election was another “Aryan-Dravidian battle”, Stalin said it is a field to ensure victory over political enemies who want to destroy Tamil culture.
Among others, he accused the Centre of “imposing Hindi,” and alleged that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was not releasing Tamil Nadu’s due of Rs 3,548 crore as it “resisted Hindi imposition.” There were attempts to impose the language on Tamil Nadu via the three-language formula in NEP 2020, he charged.
“Hindi is not mere imposition of language, it is a cultural invasion,” he said, claiming many native Indian languages have “perished” because of this. PTI VIJ SA
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