In his first episode of the ‘Speaking for India’ podcast series, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the BJP government at the Centre had failed to fulfil its poll promises, especially with regards to people welfare schemes, and was using religion as a weapon to hide all its short comings.
To get today’s top stories from the State in your inbox, subscribe to our Tamil Nadu Today newsletter
Mr. Stalin launched the podcasts series on Monday, September 4, 2023 as a part of his campaign against the BJP-led Union government. “The purpose of this podcast series is that I, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and leader of DMK, the third-largest party in the Parliament and most importantly, as someone who is one among you, want to speak for India,” he said.
“We are in a time where each and every one of us has to speak up for India,” Mr. Stalin said, adding that the BJP was trying to damage the basic structure of India and destroy the sense of unity that Indians have cherished and protected for so long.
“The DMK has created Prime Ministers and Presidents. Now, there is another duty of historical importance that has come our way. More than deciding who should come to power, the 2024 [Lok Sabha] elections are about who should not come to power,” Mr. Stalin said.
‘Unfulfilled poll promises’
The T.N. CM pointed to some of the BJP’s poll promises such as recovering black money deposited in foreign countries and giving ₹15 lakh to every Indian, guaranteed employment to 2 crore people every single year, doubling the income of farmers and also a promise every Indian would own a house and India would become a USD 5 trillion economy. “It is soon going to be 10 years of BJP governance, and none of those promises have been fulfilled,” he said.
There were several other yarns that were spun that also merely remained tall tales, he noted. The BJP is only inciting the fire of religious sentiments in people, and is basking in the warmth of its fiery flames, Mr. Stalin charged.
‘Spreading sectarian violence’
In 2002, the BJP sowed the seeds of violence and hatred in the state of Gujarat. In 2023, this sectarian fire has been ignited in the northeastern State of Manipur, and saw the State burn. In Haryana, the fire of religious fanaticism is taking away the lives and properties of innocent people, he charged further. “If we don’t put an end to this right now, no one can save India and Indians,” Mr. Stalin said.
The Narendra Modi model, which came to power lying about the Gujarat Model was now going to end with no sufficient model to call its own, he said. “It has become a rudderless model and there are no tall claims about the once-famous Gujarat modal either, especially after we listed the achievements of the Dravidian Model in Tamil Nadu with statistical proof, Mr. Stalin said.
GST and financial rights
The CM also pointed out that GST (goods and services tax) 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 this,” he said.
Tamil Nadu gives a huge amount 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, Mr. Stalin said. “From 2014, till last year, the tax paid by our State to the Indian government was 5 lakh 16 thousand crore rupees. But in return, all we got was 2 lakh 8 thousand crore rupees,” he said.
“If it is argued that the Union government cannot give the entirety of what they receive from each State, then how is it able to do so in BJP-ruled States?” Mr. Stalin queried.
A State ruled by the BJP has paid only 2 lakh 24 thousand crore rupees in taxes. But through tax sharing, the State received a whopping 9 lakh 4 thousand crore rupees. “This is what we point to as bias and wrongdoing,” he said.
The BJP government was being vengeful against the Opposition parties, Mr. Stalin alleged. Tamil Nadu continues to face huge financial losses in the Union Finance Commission allocation. In the 12th Finance Commission, the allocation of funds to Tamil Nadu was 5.305%. However, in the 15th Finance Commission, it was reduced to 4.079%, he pointed out.
“The amount of money that Tamil Nadu loses every year isn’t negligible. We are losing thousands of crores which we should get rightfully. The major financial burden for many projects is borne by the State government, but the Union government wants to take credit for them,” Mr. Stalin said.
No special schemes
Tamil Nadu has not been given a single special scheme in these nine years of BJP rule, Mr. Stalin claimed. The present BJP Union government was only functioning as a vengeful body primed against State governments. “They only want to destroy the sovereignty of the State governments, which are directly responsible for the welfare of the people,” Mr. Stalin charged.
He also accused the BJP government of dismantling and destroying what was once a strong public sector. “It is clear that the BJP is misusing its power to transfer public sector [assets] to its corporate friends. The welfare of the entire country has been reduced to the welfare of a few,” Mr. Stalin said.
He said the I.N.D.I.A. alliance has been formed to restore India where facets such as social justice, secular politics, socialism, equity, social harmony, State autonomy, federalism and unity in diversity thrive in its full glory.
“It is this I.N.D.I.A. 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 the BJP’s communal politics and hate-inciting policies, the I.N.D.I.A. alliance must win,” Mr. Stalin said.
