Chennai: The Union government is usurping the States’ rights. The ‘One Nation, One Registration’ proposal further infringes on the States’ rights over their revenue, Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin has said.
Addressing a campaign meet via videoconference for the urban local bodies elections in Kanniyakumari district, he said the Centre ‘boycotted’ Tamilnadu in the Union Budget and while providing disaster relief funds.
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his opposition to Rahul Gandhi’s speech that India is a ‘Union of States’, the CM said the Congress leader had only reiterated what the Constitution says.
‘States are the foundation of the nation,’ he said, adding that people of Tamilnadu will not believe those who speak Tamil only with the intent of seeking votes.
‘Already, GST has taken away the States’ revenue. Now, the Union government is planning to usurp the funds raised by the States through registration, which is one of the most important avenues for revenue generation. What are they trying to achieve? Are they attempting to take over and seize the States’ finances? How will the States run their governments? How will they protect their citizens,’ he said.
Stalin said though he had written to Modi seeking financial assistance after the Northeast monsoon wreaked havoc, no aid reached the State. ‘It’s not just flood assistance, the Centre has not completely given other financial aid as well,’ he said.