नवीनतम
CM Stalin announces high level panel on state autonomy
CHENNAI [Maha Media]: Alleging that states' rights were gradually being snatched by the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday announced the constitution of a panel under a retired Supreme Court judge on state autonomy.
Opposition AIADMK slammed the CM over the announcement, asking what was his DMK that shared power with the Congress-led UPA earlier, doing all these years. The move was aimed at "diverting" public attention, the principal opposition party charged.
Stepping up the attack on the BJP-led NDA at the Centre, Stalin said the high-level committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph will examine in detail the relationship between the Union and state governments to ensure state autonomy. It will submit its interim report in January 2026. The final report with recommendations will be submitted in two years.
The panel will have former bureaucrat, Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former vice-chairman of the State Planning Commission M Naganathan as its members.
"The committee will study, as per the law, to transfer those subjects that went from the State List to the Concurrent List," the Chief Minister said and pointed out that the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test (NEET) was out of the purview of states.
"We are not stressing for devolution of power and funds merely considering Tamil Nadu's welfare but are keeping in mind the interests of the people of the vast expanse of the country stretching from Gujarat to the northeastern parts; from Kashmir to Kerala," Stalin said while making a statement in the TN Assembly.
"Tamil Nadu's will be the first voice vis-a-vis discussions on state autonomy," he added.
The motive behind setting up the said panel is to protect the rights of all Indian states that work on the basis of "unity in diversity," Stalin added.
"While Tamils world over showed their opposition when cultutal identities like Eruthazhvudal (similar to jallikattu) were attempted to be destroyed, our request is that the cultural ethos of the northeastern states like Manipur and Nagaland should also be given due respect," he said.
"It is a fact that while we take all steps to protect our Mother Tamil, we are equally concerned about languages in other parts of India losing their nature," the CM said.
The four BJP legislators in the Assembly protested any such move that encouraged state autonomy and walked out. The Opposition AIADMK, which also staged a walkout from the Assembly sought to know what the DMK, which shared power with the Congress-led UPA, had done all these years on the matter.
"This is merely to divert the people's attention. Half a century ago, Stalin's father M Karunanidhi made a similar plea. But the DMK has done precious little on state autonomy. This is a mere diversionary tactic of the DMK ahead of the 2026 Assembly election," AIADMK deputy leader of the Opposition R B Udayakumar told reporters outside the Assembly.
Law Minister S Regupathy slammed the AIADMK for 'intentionally' walking out of the House in a bid to prevent the chief minister from making a speech.
Speaking to reporters, Regupathy said the state government wanted education to be brought under the state list.
On the BJP criticism that the announcement was made with an eye on the 2026 Assembly polls, the Minister replied the DMK would come to power again under Stalin's leadership in the elections.
