Amid the protest led by Kerala Chief Minister against the Centre in New Delhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin asserted on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was neglecting the rights owed to states and treated them like municipalities. He expressed dismay over the situation where Chief Ministers were compelled to protest against the Centre for their rightful entitlements. Stalin reminisced about a time when former Prime Minister V P Singh upheld state rights, avoiding scenarios where Chief Ministers had to frequent the national capital for grievances.
In a video address, Stalin, as per PTI said, "But Prime Minister Narendra Modi is regarding states as municipalities. He doesn't seem to like States or Chief Ministers, though he had been Chief Minister of Gujarat before becoming Prime Minister."
Stating that Chief Ministers protesting in Delhi for their rights represented the country's dire political situation, he highlighted Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah's recent protest at Jantar Mantar, accusing the central government of economic oppression.
Additionally, he pointed out that DMK MPs had protested against the BJP government's 'discriminatory approach' in fund allocation to states, suggesting that accountability for such actions would soon be demanded from the BJP government.
The CM asserted that after assuming office, Prime Minister Modi's initial actions included depriving states of their fiscal, linguistic, educational, and judicial rights.
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"Depriving the states of their financial rights amounts to cutting off oxygen supply. This is what the BJP government is doing. The Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states should not think that this is something peculiar to the opposition party-ruled States. You will suffer the same fate tomorrow," Stalin said in his speech, as per the report.