TIRUPUR: Launching a broadside against the BJP-led Union Government, Chief Minister MK Stalin said Tiruppur stands testimony to the Centre’s poor financial policies. Addressing an election campaign in Tiruppur through a videoconference from Chennai on Saturday, Stalin said the Centre reduced tax for Gujarat-made diamonds in Union Budget 2022 but failed to give subsidies to MSMEs.
He added, “After assuming power at the Centre in 2014, the BJP government has committed several mistakes in financial management. The knitwear units of Tiruppur could not achieve their export targets because of the Centre’s financial policies. Traders say the district is witnessing a downfall of nearly 24 per cent in business activity. Due to the hike in fuel prices, several MSMEs have shut units.” We are taking proactive steps to save MSMEs from financial trouble and boost their productivity, the CM said.
Commenting on the ‘one-nation one registration system mooted by the Centre, he said the move would not benefit or bring development to the people. He said the DMK is working for the autonomy of all States by resisting attempts to infringe upon States’ rights.
The unitary policy of the Centre is also undermining the unity in diversity espoused by the DMK and underscored by the Constitution, the CM said. “Former CM CN Annadurai spoke about State autonomy in his last article. Kalaignar Karunanidhi simplified this with his words “mathiyil kootatchi, manilathil suyatchi” (federation at the Centre, autonomy at the State),” he noted.
The CM said he had recently written to several leaders across the country urging those who believe in equality and social justice to come together. The next course of action on this would be taken after the elections in five states, he said.
Calling opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami a barefaced liar, the CM slammed him for “supporting the BJP to allow NEET into Tamil Nadu.” “When the BJP-led Central government tried to implement NEET much before Supreme Court verdict, the then CM J Jayalalithaa questioned the rush to implement it. Despite knowing that BJP is striving to bring NEET, Palaniswami supported that move.”
“The opposition party released a 163-point election manifesto during 2021 State election. Apart from talking about NEET coaching centres, the manifesto didn’t say anything on opposing NEET,” the CM said, adding that opposition party has repeatedly slipped from Dravidian ideology by extending support to the BJP.
“The ADMK now stands barren after losing Anna (A), Dravidian movement (D), Munnetram (M) and mortgaging the Kazhagam (K) with the BJP,” Stalin said.