K. Annamalai. File
| Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan
The decision of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to boycott the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, scheduled to be convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27, on the basis that the Budget did not mention Tamil Nadu by name, is “quite theatrical,” said BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
In a social media post on X, Mr. Annamalai said Mr. Stalin was trying to “mislead” the people into believing that only the States mentioned in the Budget speech would receive benefits. Between 2004 and 2014, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which the DMK was part of, had “failed” to include Tamil Nadu in six budget speeches. “Is Mr. Stalin implying that no schemes were provided for Tamil Nadu during those years?” he questioned.
“Is he [Mr. Stalin] unaware that between 2014 and 2024, under the BJP Government, Tamil Nadu received 10 times more through budget announcements than in years under the UPA government? What is the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister hoping to achieve by choosing to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting aimed at addressing State needs?” he asked.
He also alleged that in the past five years, the DMK MPs elected from Tamil Nadu had “failed” to address any constituency-related issues. “I urge Mr. Stalin to give up such empty theatrics aimed at self-promotion and instead pursue constructive politics for the development of our State,” he added.
In a statement, Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar) president G.K. Vasan said the decision of Mr. Stalin to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting for political reasons is an “act of injustice” to the voters of Tamil Nadu. “It is the duty of the Chief Minister to participate in the NITI Aayog meeting and urge the Prime Minister and Finance Minister if he feels that the State has not been allotted sufficient funds,” he added.