Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has said his participation in the NITI Aayog meeting was considering deliberations over India's growth plans. He rejected accusations from opposition parties in this regard.
Writing to party cadres, Stalin said, as soon as the news of his participation in the NITI Aayog meeting on May 24 spread, political rivals were rattled and they began showing malice as usual. Such opponents derived happiness by posing questions on his non-participation in the NITI meeting held in previous years, he said.
Also, they levelled allegations that he was meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to escape from the Enforcement Directorate's "action", following the central agency's searches in the state-run liquor corporation (TASMAC, Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) premises in connection with an alleged scam, Stalin said.
No other party has been targeted by central agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, like the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Still, the party is only legally fighting against it in courts and has not surrendered like the main opposition party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Stalin also wondered why his party, the DMK, should make compromises for the ED's action, which is based on FIRs for the alleged irregularities in TASMAC during the AIADMK regime.
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However, the Dravidian model regime has also proven that ED's action in this regard violated the law, and the Supreme Court's stay directive confirms this, the chief minister said. He said, notwithstanding such explanations, the opposition parties will only reiterate the same allegations without reforming themselves.
The chief minister said he decided to take part in the NITI meeting as it was intended to discuss India's future growth with chief ministers, and also considering that Tamil Nadu's share in the national growth was very significant during the past 4 years of the Dravidian model regime.
He recalled the tricolour rally led by him recently in Chennai to show solidarity with the Armed Forces against the background of Operation Sindoor. Also, he pointed to DMK MP Kanimozhi leading the Indian delegation to Russia.
Hence, he added: "political standpoint is different and extending cooperation to the government (union government) considering welfare of the nation is different."
Stalin's clarification came in the wake of criticisms from opposition parties regarding his participation in the meeting. Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) founder leader Vijay has alleged that Stalin visited Delhi and met the prime minister Narendra Modi under the pretext of NITI Aayog meeting after realising that the ED's action in the alleged ₹1,000 crore TASMAC scam will create trouble for him.
Vijay said, adding the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government got a stay on the ED probe into the alleged TASMAC scam by petitioning the Supreme Court. Since the court stay was interim in nature and not "permanent," DMK chief is seeking avenues that would halt the investigation.
Referring to Stalin skipping the meeting last year, Vijay alleged the reason for the visit now was only the ED probe as the central investigative agency held searches on premises linked to those close to the family members of the DMK's top leadership.
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