In the first ever public event attended by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the DMK came to power in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin used the opportunity to put forth the main demands of the state. PM Modi attended the event in Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, on Thursday, May 26, where he laid the foundation stone for 11 projects worth Rs 31,500 crore.
Stalin put forth four main demands to the Prime Minister, while speaking at the event. The demands include retrieval of Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka; passing of the anti-NEET bill; clearance of GST dues and making Tamil an official language in Union government offices and the Madras High Court.
“People of Tamil Nadu play a crucial role in India’s development. Our state is a pioneer not only in economy and other related factors but also in social justice, equality, women empowerment. In brief, Tamil Nadu is a state for inclusive growth. This is what we call the dravidian model,” he pointed out.
“The Bill regarding exemption of NEET has been passed and sent to the President by the Governor. I appeal to the Prime Minister on behalf of Tamil Nadu people, to give permission for this Bill. I hope he (Modi) sees why these demands are important,” Stalin said. He added that he has listed out some of the important demands of Tamil Nadu like “Katchatheevu, NEET bill, GST dues, Tamil as official language in Union government offices and Madras High Court. I appeal to you to consider them favorably as early as possible.”
He also added that Tamil Nadu was one of the most advanced states of the Indian union and that “it will continue to serve as an engine for leading and moving the country’s economy forward.” “Therefore, I want you to extend your fullest cooperation and support to Tamil Nadu. I request you to allot more projects and more funds to our state in the true spirit of cooperative federalism,” Stalin said and quoted Karunanidhi’s famous statement, “We will extend a hand of friendship, and at the same time we will raise our voice for our rights.” (uravukku kai koduppom, urimaikku kural koduppom).
Prime Minister Modi kick started his speech with Bharathiyar’s poem, written during the Indian Independence struggle: Senthamizh Naadenum Podhinile Inba Thaen Vandhu Paayudhu Kaadhinile (When Senthamizh Naadu (meaning prosperous Tamil Nadu) is said, it is as sweet as honey to my ears).
He further said that Tamil language was eternal and Tamil culture is global. “From Chennai to Canada, from Madurai to Malaysia, from Namakkal to New York, from Salem to South Africa, the occasion of pongal and puthandu are marked with great fervour,” he said and explained about the several infrastructure projects undertaken by his government.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 2,960 crore, in the presence of Governor RN Ravi, Union Minister L Murugan and Chief Minister M K Stalin. The programme also witnessed inauguration of 1,152 houses constructed as part of the Light House Project-Chennai, built at a cost of Rs 116 crore under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban. Modi also laid the foundation stone of 6 projects, worth over Rs 28,000 crore.
The 262 km long Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway would be built at a cost of over Rs 14,870 crore. It would pass through the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and help reduce travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai by two to three hours, he said.
The PM also laid the foundation stone of a Multi Modal Logistic Park at Chennai worth around Rs 1430 crore. It would provide seamless intermodal freight movement and also offer multiple functionalities.