Stalin questions Amit Shah's assertion on Central initiatives

Press Trust of India

Salem (TN): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion over Central initiatives to the state, reiterating it had not received any special schemes like it did during the Congress-led UPA regime. He was responding to reporters' queries here over Shah detailing the various projects and schemes delivered by the BJP-led NDA government for Tamil Nadu during a public meeting at Vellore in the state on Sunday.

"I had spoken clearly at a party functionaries event in Salem (recently). That is, no special schemes came to Tamil Nadu in the nine years of BJP rule. But I have already listed similar initiatives the state received during the (UPA) government headed by (former PM) Manmohan Singh," he said. These included the Chennai Metro Rail project and classical language status to Tamil among others, he recalled.

Stalin said he wanted to know only about these and not the regular fund allocation being done by the Centre to Tamil Nadu, apparently referring to Shah's remarks that devolution of funds and central grants to Tamil Nadu have increased manifold during the BJP rule. Stalin alleged the Centre was giving "lesser funds" to Tamil Nadu while granting more to many other states and that he had flagged only this aspect.

On establishing AIIMS in Madurai, he said the Centre had announced the hospital for Tamil Nadu and therefore "they should only do (implement) it". Responding to Shah's corruption jibe at the Congress and his party DMK, Stalin pointed out at similar allegations made in connection with the purchase of Rafale fighter aircraft and the Adani issue.

Investment research firm Hindenburg Research in its January 24 report had levelled allegations of fraud, stock manipulation and money laundering against the Adani group, which the conglomerate has repeatedly denied. The TN CM added Shah had not responded to any of the questions raised by him. Responding to Stalin, BJP state president K Annamalai hit out at the DMK over matters including the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and corruption.

"Please don't even talk about 2004-2014; your party was responsible for the killing of 1.5 Lakh Tamil brothers & sisters in Sri Lanka, corruption to the core is a word that perfectly suits your party's ministers who served in UPA 1 & 2," he said in a tweet. He further alleged DMK "made sure Tamil language & culture never crossed the borders of TN..." "Our PM Thiru @narendramodi avl has taken it across the whole globe. Finally, our language is getting the attention & richness it truly deserves...," he added.