- Sunday, February 23, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Shubham Ghosh
TAMIL Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday (18) met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi, a day after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was also present on the occasion. Stalin is the president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) which returned to power in the South Indian state last month after a gap of 10 years. This was also the first meeting between the top leaders of the DMK and Congress since their Secular Progressive Alliance, which also includes other parties, won power in Tamil Nadu.
Stalin, who was accompanied with his wife Durgavati, reportedly discussed with the Gandhis the new state government’s schemes and policies in Tamil Nadu. Rahul Gandhi later spoke about the meeting on Twitter where he said: “Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi and I had the pleasure of meeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Shri M. K. Stalin and Smt. Durgavathy Stalin earlier today. We will keep working with the DMK to build a strong and prosperous state for the Tamil people.” Stalin too tweeted about his meeting with the Gandhis and spoke highly about the alliance between the two parties.
Stalin speaks with PM Modi over vaccines, dam, Tamil refugees
Stalin’s meeting with the Congress leadership happened a day after he met Prime Minister Modi and requested him to provide extra doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Tamil Nadu and not to give nod for the construction of the Mekedatu Dam across the Cauvery River in neighbouring Karnataka which is also ruled by the prime minister’s party – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In his maiden visit to the national capital since taking over as the chief minister, Stalin also requested Modi to grant citizenship to Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka and withdraw the Citizenship Amendment Act and the three new farm laws.
Among other issues that the two leaders discussed were raising the water level of the Mullaperiyar Dam (the state has a row with another neighbour Kerala over this dam on the Periyar River), scrapping of entrance examinations for professional courses like the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for medicine, completion of work for the All India Institute of Medical Science hospital in Madurai in Tamil Nadu, finding a permanent solution to the problems of Indian fishermen who get caught by the Sri Lankan Navy, etc.
Stalin, son of five-time Tamil Nadu chief minister and stalwart of Tamil Nadu politics M Karunanidhi, urged Modi to immediately put into operation the central government’s vaccine manufacturing facilities in the state – one at Chengelpet near Chennai and another in the Nilgiris district.
Stalin met reporters after his meeting with Modi that lasted around 30 minutes and said he had given the latter a memorandum. He called the talks satisfactory and when asked about the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, he said the Tamil Nadu government’s recommendation on their release was with the Centre now.
He said Modi assured him full cooperation to take propel development initiatives in the state.
The BJP contested the recent Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu with alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam but their National Democratic Alliance lost the contest.
