Stalin Challenges Amit Shah on NEET, Delimitation
Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin fiercely criticized Amit Shah and PM Modi, asserting that BJP’s usual political tactics won’t work in the state. He defended Tamil Nadu’s autonomy, slammed Union overfunding issues, and vowed to fight for state rights without bowing to central pressure

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin
Chennai: Challenging Union home minister Amit Shah to try out in Tamil Nadu the BJP’s usual trick of occupying the seat of power in States by dividing the political parties there and by threatening them with raids by enforcement agencies, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin averred that no Shah would be able to form a government in the State which would not allow any sort of domination or encroachment in its soil.
Strongly hitting out at Shah and also Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday while speaking at an government event in Andarkuppam in Tiruvallur district, where 63,124 pattas for land were distributed among other assistance to beneficiaries, Stalin recalled Modi, during his recent visit to Rameswaram, saying that Tamil Nadu was not satisfied with whatever funds were released to them and was weeping over it.
Reminding Modi that it was he, as Chief Minister of Gujarat, who had asked if the States were beggars to stand before of the Union Government with folded hands to get their dues and also accused the then Union Government of discriminating against States ruled by opposition parties, he said now, having assumed power in Delhi, he was saying that the States were weeping for funds.
Accusing Modi of running parallel fiefdoms in the States with the help of Governors, he said it was the State’s right to demand its share of funds from the Union Government and saying that they were weeping was inappropriate. He said he was not one who would lament over anything or would crawl to touch anybody’s feet to get things done but would stand up and fight for the State’s rights.
Referring to Amit Shah’s allegation that the State was raising a plethora of issues like expressing opposition to the Wakf amendment Bill and NEET, rejecting the 3 language system and having apprehensions on the delimitation process just to divert the attention, he said Tamil Nadu was fighting for the rights of all States in the country and asked why Amit Shah did not reply to the questions raised through hose issues.
Like former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, who, through his sustained struggle, won the right for Chief Ministers to hoist the national flag on Independence Day, the latest committee set up under retired judge Kurian Joseph for State autonomy would benefit all the States to get their legitimate rights, he said.
Since a mother alone knew what her children needed, only a State government would know the needs and aspirations of the people and not some people living far away in Delhi, the States could address the needs of its people only through autonomy, he said.
But when the Union Government did not address the States needs and was appointing Governors who were stumbling blocks to progress, Tamil Nadu State went up to the Supreme Court to obtain a historic verdict against the recalcitrant Governor and that was DMK’s power, he said.
Despite the Union BJP government throwing impediments at the progress, the State was ranked high on the indices released by the same government, which in turn had intrigued Amit Shah who had had set his eyes on capturing the State by employing the usual formula of the BJP, he said.
However, the state would be always ‘out of control’ for Delhi and Amit Shah would not be able to succeed in his mission by threatening a few people in the State, Stalin said and recalled the abuses that BJP had heaped on Tamil Nadu like Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan calling the people uncivilized and another Union Minister earlier saying that people of Tamil Nadu were planting bombs.
Even Amit Shah had asked if a Tamilian could rule Odisha just because the Chief Minister had a close associate from Tamil Nadu and even alleged that the missing keys of the Puri Jaganath temple had gone to Tamil Nadu, he recalled, adding that the BJP's strategy would not work in Tamil soil, known for its self-respect, dignity, valor, wisdom and communal harmony.
( Source : Asian Age )
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