In the third episode of 'Speaking for India' podcast series released on Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin highlighted the importance of 'State Autonomy' and the erosion of state rights under the BJP-led government in India. Stalin also threw light on the need to preserve federalism and democracy. Through the podcast, Stalin also called on people to support the I.N.D.I.A bloc in the upcoming parliamentary elections to protect the rights and dignity of states.
In the podcast, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin said, "India is like a magnificent garden with various beautiful flowers. That is the reason the ones who created the administrative framework of the country did it as a union of states with a federal principal."
"When PM Modi served as the CM of Gujarat he spoke a lot in favour of state rights but as soon as he became PM he did not even like the first line of the constitution," he alleged.
The CM alleged BJP government led by PM Modi is of the opinion that states should be abolished if not reduced to mere municipalities. There are differences in what PM Modi spoke as long he was CM, he said. Further, Stalin also went on to list the schemes that PM Modi opined otherwise as CM. Stalin said that disbanding the planning commission, BJP resorting to breaking parties in states it was unable to come to power and implementing GST are some of them.
The second episode of 'Speaking for India podcast' was released in September.
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