Chennai, Apr 8:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday strongly criticized his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis for allegedly attempting to bargain and blackmail over the Madurai Metro Rail project.
Fadnavis had reportedly remarked that once the Madurai BJP candidate won the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Metro project would be brought to Madurai.
“Is it the job of the Maharashtra Chief Minister to bargain and blackmail by saying that Madurai will get a Metro project only if a BJP MLA is elected?” Mr. Stalin tweeted on X. He questioned the appropriateness of such remarks being made in a state ruled by the opposition, adding, “A Chief Minister who took an oath on the Constitution should be ashamed to come to an opposition-ruled state and speak like this.”
The Tamil Nadu CM said such statements undermine constitutional values and federal principles, particularly when made in another state. He further challenged Fadnavis on his awareness of the development work in Tamil Nadu, stating, “If he doesn’t know how many landmark projects the Tamil Nadu government is implementing despite the Union government’s neglect in funding, he should ask, find out, and then talk.”
Stalin also highlighted the successes of the Dravidian model of governance in Tamil Nadu, noting that “beyond the ‘dabba engine’ states, the Dravidian model has achieved double-digit economic growth.”
It may be recalled that in November last year, the Union BJP had rejected Tamil Nadu’s proposals for Coimbatore and Madurai Metro projects, citing lower population based on the 2011 Census.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs noted that both cities fall short of the 20-lakh population requirement under the 2017 Metro Rail policy and recommended cost-effective alternatives such as the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), returning the Detailed Project Reports to the state.