CHENNAI: DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin, in a letter to party cadre, stated that he ignored politically-motivated criticisms of his foreign visits, and felt satisfied as he was able to attract investments needed to create job opportunities for the people of Tamil Nadu and to drive the state’s economic progress.
Detailing his visit to Germany, Stalin said he wrote the letter while on a flight to London. His remarks regarding criticism came in the backdrop of opposition parties such as the BJP, AIADMK and PMK alleging that the visits were a waste of public money.
Sharing the experience of his visit to the Cologne Cathedral, he said, “While visiting the cathedral, the art structures in TN, such as the Thanjavur Big Temple and the Tiruvalluvar statue at Kanniyakumari, came to my mind.”
Regarding investment-related meetings he had, the CM highlighted the MoUs signed with 26 firms for investments worth Rs 7,020 crore that can generate 15,320 jobs in Tamil Nadu. The CM added that he explained about TN government’s Naan Mudhalvan scheme to Hendrik Wust, minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia, and assured him of a skilled workforce and all assistance required for industrial growth.
This apart, in a post on social media on Tuesday, the CM accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to shield Indian exporters from punitive US tariffs, warning that the measures are negatively impacting Tiruppur, the country’s largest knitwear cluster and a key source of employment for migrant workers.
Stalin contrasted the plight of TN’s apparel exporters with the apparent gains enjoyed by oil refineries in Gujarat, which have benefited from discounted Russian crude oil. “While oil refineries in Gujarat benefit from cheaper Russian crude, how is it fair that you allow our exporters, who generate thousands of jobs, to struggle,” he wrote. He urged Modi to press the US for a resolution, pointing to measures already outlined in the letter he sent him earlier. “Hold talks with the US, find a solution, and do justice to your title of Vishwa Guru,” the chief minister said.
‘TN treated unfairly’
In a post on Tuesday, the CM accused PM Narendra Modi of failing to shield TN’s apparel exporters from punitive US tariffs. “While Gujarat oil refineries benefit from cheaper Russian crude, how is it fair you allow our exporters, who generate thousands of jobs, to struggle,” the CM asked