How many lies will the nation tolerate: CM Stalin asks Modi’s BJP

CHENNAI: Dismissing as 'blatant lie' the BJP's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led union government had spent Rs 10.76 lakh crore for Tamil Nadu's growth in the last ten years, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday sought to know how many lies must the country tolerate?

"The BJP claims to have generously provided Rs 10.76 lakh crore for the development of Tamil Nadu in the last ten years. This is blatantly false. How many lies will the country tolerate? Have some pity on our ears?" said Stalin, in a sarcastically loaded political message posted on his 'X' page.

Posting an image of a 'vada' placed on a newspaper clipping bearing a report of Modi promising 10 lakh jobs per year, Stalin said that the funds provided by the union government to the states comprises share of taxes devolved as per the finance commission recommendation and the funds allotted by the GoI for projects in the state.

Under this head, the BJP led union government allocated Rs 18.5 lakh crore to Uttar Pradesh and only Rs 5.5 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu, the CM noted.

With regard to the funds provided for projects executed by the union government directly in the state, the BJP has claimed to have spent Rs 1,960 crore on the AIIMS hospital project in Madurai for which not even a brick has been moved.

The Rs 10.76 lakh crore claimed by the BJP includes Rs 63,246 crore Chennai metro rail phase-II project for which the union government has not allocated a paisa so far and Rs 2 lakh crore Sagar Mala project, the CM said, remarking that the BJP was trying to deceive the entire Tamil community.

"Will any BJP union minister come forward to explain how much money (funds) has been released and spent on the said projects in Tamil Nadu in the last ten years?" the CM wondered, slamming the BJP for also including about Rs 2.5 lakh crore repayable loan disbursed to MSMEs in Tamil Nadu.