Chennai, Nov 10:
DMK president M.K. Stalin on Monday voiced strong concern over the state government’s decision to dissolve the High-Level Committee on Union-State Relations headed by Justice Kurian Joseph, terming the move a serious setback to constitutional federalism.
The committee, constituted during the previous DMK regime to examine state autonomy and suggest legislative safeguards, was scheduled to submit the second part of its comprehensive report by May 2027.
Stalin noted that the findings were poised to be a landmark document on Centre-State dynamics, comparable to the historic Rajamannar Committee report.
Criticising the government’s justification that the panel’s duties overlapped with the Tamil Nadu State Law Commission, Stalin stated: “The TVK-led government has lost an opportunity to strengthen constitutional federalism by discontinuing the committee. The present government may realise its mistake sooner or later.”
He maintained that while a Government Order could formally dissolve the panel, it could not erase the constitutional discourse generated by its deliberations, adding that halting the committee wasted extensive groundwork and scholarly expertise already invested into the report.