Palaniel Thiagarajan has been in the news cycle ever since he became Tamil Nadu Finance Minister. He has been making headlines for matters unrelated to the portfolio he has been allotted. He has made a number of contentious statements against different public personalities and later issuing statements to clarify his position.
The DMK government has been calling the Government of India as ‘Ondriya Arasu’ (‘Union’ government). PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan is no exception. In the 43rd GST Council meeting, he had said that without states there would be no ‘Union’. Also, he has been repeatedly referring and underlining in various pressmeets that the Government of India as ‘Union’ government.
In light of this, Dr. Krishnasamy, the chief of Puthiya Tamilagam has issued a strong statement against Palanivel Thiagarajan saying that his references carry secessionist undertones.
In his statement he said that Palanivel Thiagarajan should speak responsibly as he is holding an important position. He said in his Facebook post “It is not his new invention that the indirect tax should not be higher than the income tax; it is widely held among economists, but he brags about it as if it is his own invention. Tamil Nadu finance minister should concentrate on constructive work rather than opposing central government for no reason.”
“Palanivel Thiagarajan who had no previous experience as a minister or holding any key position in the party and had never engaged in any protest for people, was awarded the Finance Ministry. He is entrusted with improving the livelihoods of approximately 8 crore Tamil Nadu people. Usually, Central and State Finance Ministers avoid being in the limelight. Some Finance Ministers have avoided interacting with media entirely. It’s not that they don’t want to meet the press; it’s just that they don’t want people guessing their next move based on their press meet. There have been instances in the past where people made crores of rupees by knowing the ‘budget secret’.” Dr. Krishnasamy said.
He also said that Jaggi Vasudev has the democratic right to request the government to release temples from its control and added that launching a rant against Jaggi Vasudev for expressing this is contrary to democratic tradition.
“Another instance is the GST Council meeting convened by Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister, in which PTR Thiagarajan engaged in a verbal altercation with the Goa Transport Minister. PTR Thiagarajan belittled Goa for being a small state. Palanivel Thiagarajan has to apologize for belittling the people of Goa in the GST Council meeting.” he said.
“Rather than fighting over trivial issues, Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister should work with the central government tactfully to bring petrol and diesel under GST and to reduce the tax rate on products used in manufacturing, such as cement, steel, and others, to a 12 percent slab from a 28 percent slab, which is the only way for the economy to recover.” he said.
Dr. Krishnasamy accused the DMK of failing to raise issues in the GST Council that they had previously highlighted while in opposition, and of turning the GST Council into a political conversation forum.
“You are easily belittling the sovereign Indian state as the ‘Union Government’. If India is a ‘Union’, then is Tamil Nadu a ‘Panchayat Union’? You repeatedly boast that you have your roots in Justice party. The Justice Party has never supported Indian independence and has always been a British stooge. You aren’t an exception. How can we rely on your love and affection for the country if you have such a opinion. Your disdain for a certain political party should not be reflected get reflected as hatred for your country. India was ruled by various people. Modi is now in power for seven years. He will continue to rule for a few more years. India existed prior to Modi, and it will continue to exist after Modi.” Dr. Krishnasamy said.
He added that Palanivel Thiagarajan’s persistent use of the term “Union” to refer India on public and social media is ridiculous and arrogant. “How does Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, respond to all of this? Any citizen would want to identify more with his nation than with his family, religion, language, or race of origin. Palanivel Thiagarajan, with his feudal-class mindset and four generations of family pride, is not likely to have that feeling.” he said.
“I never say that a state government should not have disagreements with the central government. The state can fight for the welfare of the people; it has to fight. However, it should not be politically motivated. During his term, MGR fought hard for the rights of the state government. But, he never expressed it in statement or word. But, he worked tactfuly in that matter. During his second term, from 1980 to 1984, he clashed with the central government, refusing to contribute food grains to the national pool when the state was not self-sufficient.” Dr. Krishnasamy said.
He further said that with Tamil Nadu being the worst affected by COVID and suffering a lack of oxygen, medications, and vaccination, it is the DMK government’s responsibility to cooperate closely with the central government rather than engaging in petty politics by calling India a “Union.”
He said that India is not a country like the United States of America, which is a federation of 50 states with only a 300-year history but a glorious multi-ethnic nation that gave birth to the civilizations .
He concluded his post saying, “Before 1947, there was no state of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, or Karnataka. linguistic states were formed only after the formation of the Central Government of India. Do not attempt to demonstrate your brilliance without first learning about the history of the India. Stop referring to the ancient Indian country as “Union.” To honour your promises, you’ll have to go a long way. Don’t let your tenure be limited by foolishness.” Dr. Krishnasamy said.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.