News Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s Spain Trip Raises Questions

January 28, 2024
The Commune

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin ventured on a journey to Spain on 27 January 2024, to participate in an investors’ meeting aimed at attracting increased foreign investments to the State. The duration of the trip is eight days, expected to return on 7 February. 

However, what has raised eyebrows is the list of people accompanying him.

According to information that is doing the rounds on social media, MK Stalin is accompanied by his wife Durgavathy Stalin, his personal secretary Dinesh Kumar, personal securities – Selvaraju and Nitin John. Industries Minister TRB Rajaa and his PA Ayyappan and one Shreyas, and a senior delegate at Industries Department are also joining him. The officers going on the trip include: Umanath IAS (personal secretary to the Chief Minister, Senthilvelan IPS, Inspector Vivekanandhan, and Balaganesan of the ‘Core cell of TN, and Vishnu IAS’ and Vishnu IAS, MD & CEO of Guidance Tamil Nadu.

While addressing the media at Chennai airport, he emphasized the anticipation of numerous investors, companies, and entrepreneurs participating in the event. He highlighted the government’s persistent efforts to achieve a targeted $1 trillion economy set at 20230, considering the recent GIM2024 as a promising start. He expressed his commitment to apprise investors of the state’s infrastructure, human resources, and investment landscape, asserting Tamil Nadu’s status as the most conducive state in the country for investment.

The Chief Minister disclosed plans for direct discussions with prominent companies like ROCA and Gestamp, as well as engaging with investment agencies such as Invest Spain, intending to generate revenue and employment opportunities. He conveyed optimism that the trip would successfully attract foreign investment from European countries, citing earlier Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) amounting to ₹7,442 crore and 17,000 jobs resulting from his visits to Singapore, Japan, and the UAE. Notable companies, including Omron and Mitsubishi Motors, have already commenced establishing their operations in the state, with Lulu Group initiating a project in Coimbatore.

While the Chief Minister expressed confidence in his journey to Spain to attract investments, political commentator and YouTuber Savukku Shankar raised questions about the true intentions behind the trip.

Initially he inquired about the companies Chief Minister planning to meet during his visit to Spain and was skeptical about the purpose of spending eight days to engage with entrepreneurs. He urged to release the trip details visit London, Australia, and America.

When the news outlet affiliated with DMK, Sun News, propagated a false narrative suggesting that Stalin was planning a global investors’ meet in Spain, he derided the media and tasked the Tamil Nadu “Fact Checking Unit”, led by Iyan Karthikeyan, to probe into the matter.

 

He also raised doubts about Spain’s ongoing economic challenges since the pandemic and questioned the feasibility of attracting investments for Tamil Nadu under such circumstances. He quoted in the statement “we anticipate a deceleration in GDP growth, decreasing from 5.8% in 2022 to 2.3% this year and further to 1.4% in the subsequent year. While this represents a subdued growth rate for 2024 in comparison to the pre-pandemic era, it remains significantly above the average growth rate observed in the eurozone”.

On 24 August 2019, Stalin questioned, “Is Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami going abroad to attract investments for Tamil Nadu, or is he seeking investments for himself?” Referring to his previous statement, Shankar emphasized, “Listen carefully. He’s gone once; you are next to Modi.” Pointing out that the Chief Minister had undertaken multiple foreign trips, positioning himself as the second only to Modi in terms of international visits.

Upon reflecting on his earlier visit to Dubai, which he elucidated during the airport briefing with reporters, Stalin highlighted the significant impact of his trips to Singapore, Japan, and the UAE. He pointed out the existence of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) that totaled ₹7,442 crore and contributed to the creation of 17,000 jobs. In response to this information, Shankar requested the issuance of a white paper on the subject.

 

 Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.