Chennai, March 23 DMK Deputy General Secretary and Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Sunday strongly criticised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her recent remarks on Tamil Nadu’s demand for its fair share of central funds, terming them "sarcastic" and "dismissive".
Kanimozhi said Sitharaman’s comments belittled the legitimate concerns raised by the state.
"For years, we have been fighting against your mockery of Tamil Nadu and its people. You should pause for a moment and reflect on what has happened to those who ridiculed Tamils. Do you really believe our fight for Tamil and our rights is a subject for mockery?" she posted on X.
The DMK MP also warned that the people of Tamil Nadu would respond decisively, suggesting that the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections - where the BJP-led NDA failed to win a single seat in the state - would be repeated in future assembly elections. The DMK-led INDIA bloc had secured all 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu during the general elections.
FM Sitharaman, speaking on Saturday, had claimed that accusations of the Centre denying Tamil Nadu its rightful share of tax revenue and funds proportionate to its economic contribution were misleading. She alleged that the Tamil Nadu government was employing diversionary tactics and ignoring the substantial support provided by the Union government through various schemes. Highlighting several ongoing and upcoming Union government initiatives in the state, she said that instead of acknowledging these efforts, the Tamil Nadu government was focusing on unrelated issues such as the three-language policy and the proposed delimitation exercise.
The Finance Minister also pointed to the state’s participation in Union schemes like the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) programme as evidence of central support.
Kanimozhi’s statement is part of a larger opposition campaign by the DMK against the Central government’s policies, particularly concerning fiscal federalism and the upcoming delimitation exercise.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin held a high-level meeting on Saturday with leaders from various states and parties to discuss the potential implications of the upcoming parliamentary constituency delimitation.
The meeting, aimed at forming a Joint Action Council (JAC), was attended by several national and regional leaders, including Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala, Revanth Reddy of Telangana, and Bhagwant Mann of Punjab, and Deputy Chief Ministers - Udhayanidhi Stalin of Tamil Nadu and D.K. Shivakumar of Karnataka.
BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao, Biju Janata Dal leaders Das Burma and Amar Patnaik, Congress' Kerala President K. Sudhakaran, Kerala Congress-Mani leader Jose K. Mani, Kerala Congress leader Francis George, CPI's Kerala Secretary Binoy Viswam, IUML leader Salahuddin, Akali Dal's Balwinder Singh, RSP's N.K. Premachandran, and AIMIM's Imtiaz Jaleel were also present.
All speakers at the meeting voiced concern over the potential inequities of the delimitation process. They urged the Centre to adopt a consultative, consensus-based approach that does not penalise states for their development and population control efforts. The meeting marked a significant step in forging opposition unity against central policies that are seen as undermining the rights and progress of southern and other progressive states.
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