In a recent turn of events, Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has accused Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of attempting to politicise the state’s flood relief efforts. At a function distributing loans to women Self-Help Group (SHG) members, Udhayanidhi expressed his concern for the people of Tamil Nadu, emphasizing that the focus should be on the disaster at hand rather than engaging in political sparring.
“I don’t want to politicize the issue by giving a word by word rebuttal (to her). Did I use any abusive words? I am not asking this for personal reasons. People of Tamil Nadu are struggling due to a disaster. They refuse to accept that it is a major disaster,” Udhayanidhi remarked.
Drawing attention to an anonymous social media post suggesting that the nine-year BJP regime itself was a disaster, Udhayanidhi questioned whether this perception influenced the central government’s response to Tamil Nadu’s floods. He highlighted that an inter-ministerial central team had acknowledged the state’s preventive measures, yet accused Sitharaman of attempting to politicize the situation.
Later in the day, at a Christmas celebration in the city, Udhayanidhi shared a personal touch, acknowledging the challenges faced by the people: “I know your houses were flooded. I am aware that you were angry at us for a day. We did not hide ourselves inside our House. I did not go home for four or five days because our house was flooded too.”
Accusing the union government of neglecting Tamil Nadu in flood relief allocation, Udhayanidhi referenced the state’s request for a relief package of Rs 21,700 crore. He criticized the lack of allocation from the Tamil Nadu government and argued that the Rs 450 crore allocated by the union government was part of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the fiscal year.
Udhayanidhi also drew a comparison with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to floods in Gujarat, highlighting the announcement of a Rs 1,000 crore relief package in 2021. He emphasized that the people of Tamil Nadu were not seeking funds from the union finance minister’s personal purse but were demanding fair and adequate relief for the flood-affected regions.