On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin issued a stern warning to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that the PM will become “isolated” if he continues to target political rivals instead of focusing on governance. Stalin’s remarks come in the wake of criticism from opposition leaders regarding the 2024 Union Budget.
Stalin, whose DMK is part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc that significantly thwarted the BJP’s ‘abki baar, 400 paar’ election hopes and delivered another defeat in Tamil Nadu, expressed his concerns on X (formerly Twitter). “The election is over… now we have to think about the country. Budget 2024 will save your rule… but will not save the nation. Run the government objectively… otherwise, you will be isolated,” he stated. He further urged the PM to avoid being vindictive towards those who defeated him, warning that governing based on political preferences would lead to isolation.
The first budget of the Modi 3.0 government, presented on Tuesday, has sparked significant backlash, especially from non-BJP ruled states. The Tamil Nadu government has criticized the budget for neglecting crucial infrastructure projects such as the second phase of the Chennai Metro Rail and similar developments in Coimbatore. Additionally, there were no provisions for flood restoration funds in Chennai and southern districts; the state had requested ₹37,000 crore but received only ₹276 crore. No special projects for Tamil Nadu were mentioned either.
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This has fostered a perception that Tamil Nadu is being overlooked by PM Modi’s government. Even the AIADMK, the state’s opposition party previously allied with the BJP, shares this sentiment. DMK spokesperson A Saravanan highlighted Tamil Nadu’s substantial contribution to the Indian economy, stating, “Tamil Nadu contributes 10 times more tax than Bihar… We are the biggest tax contributor.”
The discontent among non-BJP states was evident as four opposition chief ministers, including Stalin, boycotted Saturday’s Niti Aayog meeting. The other boycotting leaders were Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), Revanth Reddy (Telangana), and Sukhvinder Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh), all from Congress-ruled states.
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