Welfare of country reduced to welfare of few: Stalin takes aim at BJP

CHENNAI: Releasing the inaugural episode of his newly launched podcast 'Speaking for India', Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday weighed in on what he claimed was the "destruction of the country under the BJP". Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, the DMK chief said it has destroyed the sense of unity among Indians.

"We are living in times where each and every one of us has to speak up for India. The Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to damage the basic structure of India and destroy the sense of unity that Indians have cherished and protected for so long," CM Stalin said in the inaugural podcast episode. Accusing the BJP of failing to fulfill the promises it made to the people ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK chief added,

"The Bharatiya Janata Party, which came to power in 2014, has failed to fulfill its pre-election promises, especially with regards to the people's welfare schemes." "There were many other yarns that were spun that just remained tall tales," he added. Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CM Stalin said the former lied to the people about the "Gujarat model" and would leave the country's highest office with "no significant model to call his own".

"The Narendra Modi model, which came to power lying about the Gujarat Model, is now going to end with no significant model to call his own. It has become a rudderless model, and there are no tall claims about the once-famous Gujarat model either, especially after we listed the achievements of the Dravidian Model in Tamil Nadu with statistical proof," he said in his podcast.

"This failure being on one hand, on the other it is disheartening to see how India’s strong public sector is being dismantled and destroyed by the Union government. It is clear that they are misusing their power to transfer the public sector to their corporate friends. The welfare of the entire country has been reduced to the welfare of a few. Government-owned Air India has now been privatised," the CM claimed further.

"Airports and ports all over India are going into the hands of private organisations. While Prime Minister Modi’s promise to double the income of farmers is far from fulfilled, the living standards of the poor and downtrodden haven't become better either. They have taken religion as their weapon to hide all their shortcomings," he added.

Citing the ethnic violence in Manipur and clashes in Haryana's Nuh district, CM Stalin accused the BJP of stoking the "sectarian fire" saying, "In 2002, BJP sowed the seeds of violence and hatred in the state of Gujarat. In 2023, the sectarian fire ignited in the northeastern state of Manipur and saw the State burn. In Haryana, the fire of religious fanaticism is claiming the lives and property of innocent people. If we don't put an end to this right now, no one can save India and Indians. Whenever India's diversity, federalism, and democracy have been threatened, DMK has always been the vanguard, standing at the frontline."

"During the 9-year BJP rule, there have been many harmful scams that have destroyed the States. GST has taken away the financial rights of the States. Tamil Nadu has lost its right to financial autonomy. Despite repeated requests by the states to extend the GST compensation for another two years, the Union government paid no heed to it. Tamil Nadu gives huge amounts of funds annually to the Union Government through taxes. At the same time, for every rupee paid as tax revenue to the Union Government, only 29 paise was returned to the State," the Tamil Nadu CM added.

On the Opposition alliance — Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) — the CM said, "Social justice, Secular politics, Socialism, Equity, Social harmony, State autonomy, Federalism, Unity in diversity- An India where these facets thrive in its full glory is the real India. An unparalleled India. We have formed the INDIA Alliance to restore such an India."

"It is this INDIA alliance that is going to save India. If we want to prevent the whole of India from becoming Manipur and Haryana, which, unfortunately, fell victim to BJP's communal politics, and hate-inciting policies, the INDIA alliance must win. Initial rounds of consultation meetings for the streamlining of the INDIA alliance have been held in Patna, Bangalore, and Mumbai," he said.

The inaugural podcast episode was released amid outrage over a statement by the DMK chief's son and minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, equating 'Sanatan Dharma' with "mosquitoes, Dengue, Malaria, fever, and Corona". Addressing a conference in Chennai, Udhayanidhi said, "Few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose Dengue, Mosquitoes, Malaria, or Corona, we have to eradicate this that's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather opposing Sanatana it should be eradicated."

"The word Sanatana, derived from Sanskrit, is against social justice and equality," he had claimed. The remarks drew saffron ire, with BJP national president JP Nadda on Sunday questioning if the statement of the Tamil Nadu minister was consistent with the position of the INDIA bloc vis-a-vis 'Sanatan Dharma'.

Addressing a public rally in Chitrakoot, Nadda said, "Udhayanidhi Stalin says that 'Sanatan Dharma' should be abolished. He says just like dengue and malaria, 'Sanatan Dharma' should be abolished. They have no hesitation in making such statements. Does Udayanidhi's statement reflect the INDIA bloc's political strategy?"

TN paid Rs 5.I6 lakh crore tax, but only received Rs 2.8 lakh cr

Charging the BJP with destroying the sovereignty of the State governments and functioning as a vengeful body primed against States, the CM said that Tamil Nadu has paid Rs 5.16 lakh crore as tax to the Union from 2014 till last year, but it has only received Rs 2.8 lakh crore back. Questioning the generous tax apportionment to the BJP-ruled States, he said, “A state ruled by BJP has paid only Rs 2.24 lakh crore rupees in taxes (during the period).

But through tax sharing, the State has received a whopping Rs 9.04 lakh crore rupees. This is what we point out as bias and wrong-doing. The BJP government is being vengeful against their opposition parties.” The CM also added that allocation to Tamil Nadu was reduced from 5.305 per cent in the 12th Finance Commission to 4.079 percent in the 15th Finance Commission.

“The amount of money that Tamil Nadu loses every year isn’t negligible. We are losing thousands of crores which we should get rightfully. Major financial burden for many projects is borne by the State government but the Union government wants to take credit for the same,” the CM said.