TN will forever be ‘out of control’ for Delhi, says CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin, in a belligerent attack on the BJP on Friday, said the party’s “formula” of forming governments in states by breaking up political parties and intimidating politicians through “raids” will never work in Tamil Nadu and the “Dravidian model” government of the DMK will return to power in 2026.

Asserting that the Tamils have a distinct character and self-respect that never allowed domination, he said they will never bow to those in Delhi.

“Our Tamil Nadu will forever be ‘out of control’ for Delhi,” he said, while speaking at a government function in Ponneri in Tiruvallur district on Friday. Alleging that the BJP has threatened some to forge an alliance in TN, he challenged the party for a fight in 2026 and asked it to bring its “parivar”.

Contending that the BJP would intimidate with the central agencies at their disposal, Stalin said the Tamils are not slaves to submit to such threats. “Not Amit Shah, but no Shah can rule Tamil Nadu because this is Tamil Nadu,” he said.

DMK will win the rightful powers for states: Stalin

Stalin slammed the BJP of insulting Tamils by recalling the recent controversial remarks of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and recalling how the BJP targeted an IAS officer of Tamil origin during the last assembly election in Odisha.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks earlier this month in Rameswaram that “no matter how much (funds) we give, they keep complaining,” in what was seen as a veiled criticism of the DMK government, Stalin said he wanted to ask the PM with politeness and respect whether he thinks of states as beggars standing before the Union government with their bowls. He said this was the question Modi asked when he was the CM of Gujarat.

In a veiled attack on the AIADMK-BJP alliance, the CM said some opportunists were planning to mortgage Tamil Nadu by joining hands with those betraying the state and its people.

On Shah’s remarks last week in Chennai, when he announced the AIADMK-BJP alliance, that the DMK was raking up issues like delimitation, NEET exemption, and three-language policy to divert people’s attention, Stalin said TN was fighting for all the states on these issues.

Questioning if he was wrong to demand rights for states, the Supreme Court’s recent landmark verdict against governor’s powers following the DMK government’s legal battle has shown the “power” of DMK to everyone in India.

He asked if Shah thought the DMK was raising these issues as a diversionary tactic, then why did he did not offer clear answers to the Tamil people on these.

Recalling the slogan of late CM M Karunanidhi that Tamil Nadu will extend its hands for relationship and raise its voice for rights, Stalin said he was travelling on the path showed by his party’s late president. He said just like how Karunanidhi attained the rights for CMs to hoist flags on Independence Day, the present government will win the rightful powers for the states through the high-level committee he has recently constituted to study centre-state relations.

He contended that TN was growing and getting ranked highly on all parameters despite the hurdles imposed by the BJP-led Union government.