CHENNAI: Union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal on Monday challenged Chief Minister MK Stalin to declare his son and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin as the next CM and seek votes on that basis. Claiming that Udhayanidhi would be elevated if the DMK returns to power, Goyal said Stalin was in a “panic mode” as the government’s failures were being exposed.
Responding to Stalin’s remarks on the BJP’s ‘chargesheet’ alleging financial irregularities, Goyal said he was amused by the CM’s comment asking the BJP to “get pass marks” before criticising. “I secured All India Rank 2 in the CA final examination and stood second in law at Bombay University in 1987. I would assume Stalin and Udhayanidhi possess higher qualifications than me to suggest that a student who has failed has no right to speak. Perhaps he believes I do not understand finance,” he added.
The BJP leader also accused the state government of failing to cooperate in implementing central schemes, including a housing programme for three lakh beneficiaries, alleging that the state had not identified and submitted beneficiary details. “We have also found massive corruption in the contracts given out under the Jal Jeevan Mission and are investigating if Stalin is directly linked to it,” he said.
When asked about the two-language policy, he said parties were free to have their views, while reiterating that the centre supports education in the mother tongue.
He further alleged that Tamil Nadu, under Stalin’s leadership, has struggled to attract investments, and more than 70% of the DMK’s 2021 poll promises remain unfulfilled.