Stalin sharpens attack on Centre at Tiruvallur rally, says ‘TN not begging for funds’

“We will not relent until our last breath in our fight against delimitation and other detrimental schemes,” Stalin said addressing a public gathering in Tiruvallur.

The Tamil Nadu chief minister also announced a significant public meeting in Chennai on March 22, aimed at uniting southern leaders against the Centre’s population-based delimitation initiative, indicating a wider coalition to safeguard regional interests.

‘Not begging, demanding our due’

Asserting that Tamil Nadu makes a vast contribution to the country’s economy, Stalin said the state was demanding its rightful share in form of funds and was not begging. “Tamil Nadu is not begging from you. We have paid taxes and are demanding our rightful share—we are not begging,” he said.

He pointed out that the state was a leading performer in the sectors of education, health, and economic development and accounts for 35 per cent of India’s GDP despite having just 18 per cent of India’s population.

Also read: Stalin’s delimitation meet must discuss selective use of Article 82, rights of smaller states

“Research indicates Tamil Nadu excels in all metrics, yet they continue to withhold our funds,” he said, citing DMK’s welfare initiatives, such as free bus travel for women, as evidence of effective governance.

‘NEP an assault with a saffron agenda’

Stalin said NEP 2020 was detrimental for the impoverished and was a mechanism for the imposition of Hindi.

“This is a saffron policy that denies tuition fee waivers for underprivileged SC/ST students while enforcing Hindi. We oppose it as it undermines social justice.”

He compared the proposed national entrance examinations for arts and science disciplines to the alleged detrimental effects of NEET on medical education. Furthermore, he accused Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of withholding financial support to ensure adherence to NEP.

“Pradhan has refused funding unless we accept NEP 2020. We would not accept it even for Rs 1 lakh crore. You are not our headmaster, and we are not your students,” Stalin retorted.

He also accused the BJP of disrespecting Tamils, referring to the party’s allegations against VK Pandian, the then aide former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, in regard to the theft of the keys of Puri’s Jagannath temple ahead of the Assembly polls in Odisha.

“They extract substantial taxes from us, deny us funds, and allocate resources to Sanskrit while enforcing Hindi—where is the decency in that?” Stalin said.

Also read: PMK slams DMK on NEP flip-flop: 'Its theatrics cannot mask its hypocrisy'

Questions over federalism

Reflecting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promises made prior to 2014, Stalin accused him of consolidating power.

“Modi vowed to distribute power among the states and decentralise authority from Delhi, yet his administration undermines state rights,” he said. “Rather than promoting Hindi, we should focus on developing India. Sanskrit cannot thrive—no one speaks it.”

He cautioned that the delimitation process, linked to the 2026 Census, poses a risk to the representation of southern states. “This is not merely a struggle for Tamil Nadu; it is a collective effort against all southern states. We are garnering support from their leaders,” he noted.

The Tamil Nadu chief minister also emphasised the significant influence of the state’s MPs, pointing out that Tamil parliamentarians compelled an apology out of Pradhan within half an hour of a dispute. "They are unable to cope with the assertiveness of our MPs, which is why they seek delimitation to reduce our representation," he said.

Swipe at AIADMK

Taking a dig at the AIADMK, Stalin accused it of facilitating the BJP's agenda.

"The Centre was able to manoeuver with the AIADMK, who acquiesced to implement right-wing strategies. Now, they recognise that the DMK will not compromise."

"We will categorically reject the BJP's authoritarian plans. We advocate for federalism and will continue to resist until our last breath—should we fail, our resistance will persist," he said.

Also read: CM Stalin vows TN will reject NEP, cites BJP’s hostility towards Tamils

The BJP has so far rejected Stalin's assertions as mere “fear tactics”. Speaking a rally in Coimbatore on February 26, Home Minister Amit Shah assured that Tamil Nadu will not lose a single Lok Sabha seat to delimitation while accusing Stalin of spreading misinformation on the matter.