“Go to the battlefields of election in January 2029. Till then, the only priority should be the country, its poor, farmers, women, and the...
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a boycott of the NITI Aayog meeting following total neglect of Tamil Nadu in Union Budget 2024.
M.K.Stalin@mkstalinOriginal post
“Go to the battlefields of election in January 2029. Till then, the only priority should be the country, its poor, farmers, women, and the youth,” our Hon'ble PM @narendramodi said in his address to the media ahead of the Parliament session. But the very next day, his government's #Budget2024 has neglected the people of Tamil Nadu. This is unacceptable and condemnable.
While the budget includes announcements for states ruled by BJP allies, there is no guarantee these states will receive the promised funds, just as Tamil Nadu has been denied funds for the #ChennaiMetro for the past three years.
Shockingly, the words 'Tamil' or 'Tamil Nadu' do not appear even once in the entire budget speech by Hon'ble @nsitharaman, who previously began her budget speeches with 'Thirukkural'.
In light of this blatant neglect of Tamil Nadu, I have decided to boycott the @NITIAayog meeting scheduled for 27th July, chaired by the Hon'ble PM. #BJPBetraysTamilnadu
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin declared his decision to boycott the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing the blatant neglect of Tamil Nadu in the Union Budget 2024. Stalin contrasted the Prime Minister's pre-session call to prioritize the nation, farmers, youth, and poor with the partisan budget allocations announced immediately thereafter.
The Chief Minister noted with indignation that while the Union government announced special financial packages for states ruled by coalition allies, Tamil Nadu was entirely ignored. Crucially, the Union government continues to withhold central counterpart funding for Phase Two of the Chennai Metro Rail project for three consecutive years, severely impeding urban transit expansion in the state capital.
Stalin highlighted the shocking omission that neither the words Tamil nor Tamil Nadu appeared even once in Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's extensive budget address. He remarked on the stark contrast with previous years when budget presentations routinely opened with quotes from Thirukkural to project cultural appreciation.
The Chief Minister asserted that attending symbolic deliberations in New Delhi while the legitimate financial rights of the state are systematically denied is untenable. Stalin affirmed that Tamil Nadu will fiercely defend federal justice.