Attending Niti Aayog to claim TN’s rightful financial share, says CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Lambasting Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami for attributing motives to his upcoming visit to the national capital to attend the Niti Ayog meeting, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday sought to know why does it ‘pain’ the LoP to see him attend the May 24 Niti Ayog meeting to voice the rightful financial claims to the state.

Stalin also asserted that he would remain ideologically firm and fight for the rights of the state.

Announcing that he was “going to Delhi on the 24th to voice Tamil Nadu’s rightful financial claims at the NITI Aayog meeting,” Stalin said, “Why does it pain the Leader of Opposition Palaniswami so much to see this? From Sasikala to Amit Shah, the person may change, but his habit of crawling under the table and prostrating has never changed.”

“Even before the saliva on the tongue that declared that ‘There is no alliance with the BJP’ could dry, Palaniswami, who transformed into ‘Pulikesi’ (a comic Tamil movie character symbolising cowardice) after a single raid and rushed to wave the white flag, has no shame in accusing me of surrendering,” said Stalin, in the strongly worded message posted on his ‘X’ handle.

“This hand of Stalin is one that holds the red-black flag of the DMK! The hand lifted by Perarignar (Anna). The hand that walked holding Kalaignar’s (Karunanidhi’s) hand! I will always hold the flag for rights! I will never crawl,” remarked Stalin.

“Even today, I have filed a case in the Supreme Court for the rights of Tamil Nadu,” Stalin cited, and asserted, “I will stand firm in my principles! I will fight and win Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of funds!”

Principal opposition party AIADMK questioned the CM’s Delhi visit and criticised that Stalin who boycotted last year’s meet was visiting this time to save his family from the TASMAC scam case.

This is the first Niti Aayog meeting that the chief minister will be attending since taking charge as chief minister in this term in 2021.