Lagatar24 Desk
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin issued a stern warning to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, cautioning that he could become politically isolated if he continues to govern based on personal political preferences. Stalin’s remarks came in response to perceived favoritism in the Union Budget allocations, particularly towards Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Stalin accused PM Modi of appeasing his political allies at the expense of the nation. “By mollifying your allies, you may save your regime but not the country,” he wrote in Tamil. This criticism followed a walkout by the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, protesting what they saw as discrimination against several states in the Budget.
Stalin specifically charged PM Modi with targeting states that did not support him in the Lok Sabha elections. “The INDIA coalition MPs have staged a protest against the omission of several states in the Union financial report. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you said, ‘The election is over, now we have to think about the country.’ But yesterday’s Budget-2024 will save your regime, not India!” Stalin wrote. “If you run the government according to your political likes and dislikes, you will be isolated.”
Supporting Stalin’s stance, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran urged PM Modi to emulate the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s inclusive approach. “When MK Stalin became the CM of Tamil Nadu, he said he would work for all people, regardless of whether they voted for him. Today, the PM is only working for those who support his party,” Maran stated, as reported by ANI.
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress president and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Union Budget for favoring only two states—Bihar and Andhra Pradesh—labeling it a “kursi-bachao” (save the chair) document. The Budget allocated Rs 60,000 crore for Bihar and pledged Rs 15,000 crore in assistance from multilateral agencies for Andhra Pradesh, both of which had been seeking special status from the government.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended the Budget, arguing that it was not uncommon for previous Budgets, including those presented by Congress, to focus on specific states.
