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In a strong political statement during a public meeting in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a veiled dig at Chief Minister MK Stalin and the ruling DMK. He said that the central government has provided Tamil Nadu with three times more funds than the previous UPA government, but “some people keep crying” despite that support.
Modi said, “Since 2014, the Modi government has given more than three times the amount of development funds to Tamil Nadu than what the INDI alliance gave when it was in power. The DMK was part of that alliance.” He also pointed out that the railway budget for the state has increased from ₹900 crore to more than ₹6,000 crore.
Referring to repeated demands by Stalin for education funding, the Prime Minister remarked, “Some people have a habit of crying for no reason. They keep crying over these issues.”
Modi’s comments appeared to respond to a 15-page memorandum sent by MK Stalin in 2024, which urged the Prime Minister to release central funds for Chennai’s metro rail project, education schemes, and to take action over Tamil fishermen detained by the Sri Lankan Navy.
PM Modi Questions Use of English in DMK Letters
Taking a swipe at the DMK’s pride in Tamil identity, Modi questioned why Tamil Nadu ministers send letters to him in English. “They talk about Tamil pride, but they always write to me in English. Why don’t they use Tamil? Where is their Tamil pride?” he asked.
Highlighting Development Initiatives
Modi also spoke about key development projects initiated by the central government in Tamil Nadu. He noted that 12 lakh people in the state received ‘pakka’ houses under central schemes, and 1.1 crore Tamil Nadu families now have tap water connections for the first time. “This has benefited my mothers and sisters in Tamil Nadu the most,” he added.
Earlier, Modi had also flagged off the first train on the New Pamban Bridge, a project he said was symbolic of the Centre’s infrastructure efforts in the region.
Ongoing Tensions Over Education Policy
The war of words between the Centre and Tamil Nadu continues over the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The DMK-led state government has strongly opposed the three-language policy proposed under NEP. Chief Minister Stalin accused the Centre of trying to impose Hindi, claiming it threatens Tamil identity and linguistic diversity.
He further alleged that the central government has not released the promised education scheme funds because of the state’s refusal to implement NEP.
This latest exchange highlights the ongoing political and ideological friction between the central and state governments, especially regarding language, education, and cultural identity.
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