India


Stalin on EPS Delhi visit criticisms: Neither have white flag nor saffron flag with me

Stalin on EPS Delhi visit criticisms: Neither have white flag nor saffron flag with me

New Delhi, May 24 (UNI) Strongly hitting back at main Opposition AIADMK leader Edappadi
K Palaniswami attributing motives to his Delhi visit for the Niti Aayog meet, Tamil Nadu Chief
Minister and DMK President M K Stalin said he neither carried a white flag or a saffron flag
with him.
Talking to reporters at the airport before leaving for Chennai after attending the Niti Aaayog
meeting and submitting a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on five key demands
of the State, Mr Stalin, responding to a question on Mr Palaniswami's criticisms attributing political motives to his Delhi visit after skipping it earlier citing Centre's boycott of the state, said "What
Mr Palaniswami has said...he said I am going to wave the white flag (to broker truce following the recent TASMAC raids in which the ED had said Rs 1,000 crore scam was unearthed).
"There is no white flag or a saffron flag with me as the one he (EPS) has with him", he said.
Mr Stalin said during the meeting with Mr Modi he has submitted a memorandum containing five
key demands of the state that included release of Rs 2,200 crore due funds for TN under the SSA
scheme for the school education sector, sanction for Coimbatore and Madurai Metro Rail projects
and for expansion of those two airports and to handover the MRTS elevated rail project to the
Chennai Metro, besides converting the Chengalpattu-Tindivanam National Highway to eight-way
lane from six way, setting up of AIIMS in Coimbatore and release of fishermen and their boats from
the custody of Sri Lanka and bringing Adi Dravidar converted Christians under the Adi Dravidar list.
On what was Mr Modi's response during the five-minute meeting, Mr Stalin said "what he will say
...will he say that we will not do it. He will only say I will do. Whether he will do it or not will be known in due course".
Asked whether he believed that the Centre would accept the demands of the State, he said the Centre had earlier stopped funds for the Chennai Metro Rail project.
"After I insisted on it, he (Mr Modi) fulfilled it immediately", he said.
Stating that he recalled the sanction accorded for the Chennai Metro and thanked Mr Modi for it,
Mr Stalin said the Prime Minister told him that since he came and told him, he accepted it and
fulfilled it.
"Like that, we have also requested him to fulfill these requests", he said, while exuding confidence that the Centre will release the due funds to TN withheld under the SSA scheme for not implementing the NEP-2020 that envisaged imposition of Hindi and implementation of three-language policy as against the long followed two-language formula in the State.
On the Supreme Court coming down heavily on ED on the recent TASMAC raids, the Chief Minister said what the CJI said was just and correct.
"They are all politically motivated... We will face it", was Mr Stalin's reply on ED levelling corruption charges against several states.
He also termed the ED's claim of Rs 1,000 crore scam in TASMAC and the alleged Rs 5,000 crore scam in sand quarrying in Tamil Nadu as false, baseless and a sinister campaign.
Stating that the TN Ministers of concerned departments were refuting the allegations then and there, Mr Stalin said it was a planned campaign and are doing it as the 2026 Assembly elections are
nearing.
"We are ready to face them", he added.
UNI GV 2125

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