TN not a beggar state; Modi govt is playing vendetta politics: Stalin

CHENNAI: Launching a blistering attack on the Union government on the issue of the National Education Policy (NEP) and the denial of funds to Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said the BJP regime was the 'embodiment' of indecency and there could be nothing more 'uncivilised' than denying funds to a state for not accepting Hindi.

Reiterating his opposition to the 'saffron' NEP 2020, Stalin also wondered if Tamil Nadu was a beggar state?

Speaking at the statewide ‘Tamil Nadu will fight; Tamil Nadu will win’ protest organised at Tiruvallur, Stalin recalled in detail the assurances Modi made at the time of his swearing-in ceremony over 10 years ago, said, "Honourable Prime Minister Modi, one-time chief minister of Gujarat, did you treat the states the way you promised you would? No. On the contrary, your activities and the approach of your ministers are fascist in nature, contemplating how to destroy states, and how to snatch their rights. You promised to attach importance to states after becoming the PM. What were the actions you executed in the past ten years in reverence of federal democratic principles by according priority to states?"

"Do the states have the right to tax? Did you act fair at least in the devolution of taxes to the states? Did you act in a non-partisan way at least in announcing schemes and executing them? No. Can you produce one evidence to demonstrate your support for cooperative federalism? Did you invite and consult the state chief ministers whenever a problem arose? No!" Stalin said, and added that he could cite numerous examples to prove that he (Modi) has only been engaged in vendetta politics against opposition-ruled states.

"Can we remain mute spectators to the infringement of our rights and insult to Tamil Nadu? We are not a spineless group of slaves who bow to the union government for the sake of remaining in power. We are the DMK,” Stalin said.

Don't teach us democracy: Stalin tells Pradhan

Alleging that the BJP regime was imposing hurdles to Tamil Nadu in whatever way possible, and doing whatever it could to disturb our peace of mind, and attempting to belittle the state, Stalin said, "We cherish self-respect and ethnic pride. They have created a situation for beholding the war-like mentality of the DMK."

" Honourable Prime Minister, do you remember what you said on December 6, 2012, as the Gujarat chief minister? You had said, "The people of Gujarat contribute Rs 60,000 crore to the central coffers, but only get pittance in return. Is Gujarat a state of beggars? I am asking the same question now. Is Tamil Nadu a beggar state? What is your problem in returning the funds? We contributed through sheer hard work? Is it fair to threaten by not releasing funds meant for 43 lakh school children?" Stalin asked.

Rebuking Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan for calling the state’s MPs "uncivilised", Stalin said, "Can you tell us what is 'decency' Mr Pradhan? Is it decent to collect taxes from us and starve us? Is it decent to impose Sanskrit and Hindi after claiming to promote mother tongue? Is it decent to allocate Rs 10,000 crore the same evening after disaster strikes Gujarat and not allocate even a percentage of funds sought by Tamil Nadu even after two years? Is it decency to not construct the lone AIIMS announced even after seven years? Could there be something more atrocious than saying they will not release funds if Hindi language is not accepted?"

"I strongly and categorically stated that we will not accept the NEP, even if they provide us Rs 10,000 crore, let alone Rs 2000 crore. Hence, union minister Pradhan is furious. He's calling us uncivilised. Don't teach democracy to Tamils. Are you preaching as if you are headmaster, and we are students? Unable to tolerate the continuous resistance by Tamil Nadu, he's calling the people of Tamil Nadu uncivilised, " he added.